Fearless
by OMGitsEMILY
Summary: 2 Part Jim/OC fanfiction. Part 1: Same basic plot as the movie. Jim knew this trip was going to be the voyage of a lifetime, but who knew that a girl named Tabitha could get his heart racing before the adventure even started? Part 2: A Sequel
1. Tabitha Renee Alexander

**Okay hey everyone! This is my first fanfiction, so I hope it's good!**

**Everyone should go check out the illustrations done by garrenn! They're amazing.  
****www . garrenn . deviantart . com  
(Take out the spaces)**

**This chapter is only an introduction to the main character; the story actually begins in the next chapter!  
**

**

* * *

**

He was dead, and she couldn't help feeling... free.

It wasn't like Tabitha had ever felt like a prisoner; it was just that now she felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. She felt guilty for considering her father as nothing but a burden, but she couldn't help it. That's how it had always been.

---------------------------

When her mom died when she was 3, she was left to her dad. He wasn't abusive by any means, but he was somewhat neglectful. Sure, Tabitha had food and clothes and a roof over her head, but she was lacking in the attention and emotional support department. Tabitha now understood his detachment though – he and her mom had grown up together; they were high school sweethearts who had a shot gun wedding a month after graduation (to which their parents strongly disapproved and had practically disowned them because of), and a _very short_ 8 months later, Tabitha Renee Alexander was born. Things were wonderful at first – her father got a well paying job and her mom stayed at home and took care of Tabitha. It was perfect…until her mother's death.

It was sudden and unexpected, and caused by something uncommon, Tabitha remembered: the doctors had a hard time diagnosing her, and when they did, it was a disease with so little known about it that there was no treatment. Since children get sick so easily, they decided it was best to keep Tabitha away from her mother to narrow the risk of her contracting the same illness, so neither of them saw each other the last few days of her life. Maybe that's why she didn't feel quite so upset when she died, or maybe it was because she was just too young to fully understand all of the circumstances and repercussions of it. Either way, she didn't cry. Even now that she had grasped the concept that her mother was really gone forever and she was missing out on a lot, she never cried about it. Her father had though. Her mother's funeral was the last time Tabitha ever saw her father show emotion. The next 7 years he never cried, or yelled, or laughed, or even cracked a smile – he was deep in depression and completely hardened.

Tabitha put up with it though (what other choice was there? Leave her father and the only home she'd ever known and live on the streets?). She quickly learned how to cook and clean and do the basic every day household chores while her father was at worked practically non-stop. Her daily life was repetitious – get up, make breakfast, do chores for the majority of the day, make dinner, go to bed, repeat. There was very little communication between her and her father; Tabitha began to feel more like a caregiver and a maid and less like a daughter helping her father. She knew that he _must _love her, though there was never a reason for her to assume this. She only guessed because he was her father and she was his daughter, so therefore, they had to love each other.

It really didn't matter if he did or didn't though, they rarely talked or interacted, and when they did it was so awkward and about such shallow things that it almost seemed it would have been better to just stay silent, so she turned to books instead. She'd never gone to school, but her mom had been teaching her how to read and sound out words and by her death, she had grasped enough of the basics to finish teaching herself. She read everything she could get her hands on, starting small and gradually working her way up, but her favorite things to read were her mother's diaries. She'd found them one day when she was about eight. She had finished working on her chores, and was meandering around the house looking for something to do. It was just chance that she opened the drawer beside her parents' bed, but that is where she had found them – diaries, dating as far back as high school, before she and her father had started going out, and going to only a few days before her mother's death. She quickly found the oldest and began reading, and over the next week, she had read the entire series.

The latest had only two entries in it, one she had written on her wedding anniversary, and the other a few weeks later when she was diagnosed with her illness. The rest was empty. Then, Tabitha did the only thing that seemed right – she began writing in it. She had so many thoughts and feelings and she was so confused, that it was more like a reflex to write than actually making a decision to. She grabbed a pencil from the drawer and scribbled furiously for an hour, filling up several pages, and then sighed a deep breath of relief. Maybe this was also part of the reason she never cried over her mom's death, she just wrote her feelings instead of expressing them out loud. Since then, Tabitha had written only two other entries - the only two big things that had happened to her. One was her tenth birthday, which was significant only because it was the only year since her mom's death that her father had gotten her a present. It was an old pocket watch of his; it no longer ran, but it was something Tabitha had always admired as a child. She hadn't seen it in years and was surprised he even remembered how much she had loved it. It was quite a shock and brought back a lot of memories from when she was still little… when she still had a real family.

The second entry was from a week later, when her father died.

He'd simply died. He wasn't old or sickly, so Tabitha just assumed that the combination of a broken heart and his workaholic persona had sent him to an early grave. There was no will, but Tabitha was left with 2 things – a few dollars, perhaps enough for her to get by on for a week, which would hopefully be long enough for her to find work, and a note. The note had been found high on a closet by some distant family member that had come to the funeral and the house afterwards to help settle things. The outside was printed in a messy cursive print, which Tabitha recognized to be her father's handwriting, and read, "To my Tabitha: In the event of my sudden death." Tabitha thought it rather odd for a letter to be addressed like this; had her father known he was going to die? Had he killed himself? Is that why he had given her the pocket watch for her birthday? She shook these thoughts from her head though and read the letter, which simply said, "You look just like your mother, Tabitha. I loved her. Thank you and forgive me." Tabitha had no idea what to make of this and her mind swirled with even more questions. When had her father written this? Why didn't he just tell her? Why write a note with only 3 lines? Was he planning to add more? Forgive him for what?

But she didn't have time to sit around and contemplate all the possible meanings of the note, she had to get a job and a place to live, seeing as she couldn't afford to make payments on the house they already had. Although she was very mature for her age, she was still only ten, and the only skills she had were cooking, cleaning, and reading. She didn't have a clue what job she would actually be qualified for or where she should even begin to look for one. Finally, she decided where to start. Tabitha packed up the few belongings she _had_ to keep – the diary of her mother that she had been writing in, the pocket watch (which she now wore around her neck like a necklace), the letter, and a few basic articles of clothing - and headed to a place she recalled from when she was still very young; the last place her mother and father and her had been out together as a family – the local spaceport.

That's where Silver found her.


	2. An Interesting Trip

**Time to introduce the best part - Jim ;)**

**Okay, I guess that's it.  
I'll answer any questions that anyone has. It's hard to tell how it sounds to a reader.  
It makes sense to me, but I'm the writer, so I know what I mean.**

**Enjoy!  
**

**

* * *

**

* * *

**  
5 Years Later  
**

_**Dear Diary:  
It's the first day of the voyage. It feels like I've done this a million times, but I'm always excited by the possibility of adventure and danger. It's such a thrill! I'm not exactly sure where we're going, but I'm not sure that anyone other than the captain does. I guess that only makes it more exciting, like there's an air of mystery surrounding the whole trip. I'm stuck being the cabin girl with Silver (as usual). I wonder if I'll ever move up in the ranks.**_

_**I guess it doesn't matter really, just as long as I get to travel.**_

Tabitha closed her diary. She really was excited, she always was the first day of a new journey, but something about this one felt different, like there was something special about this trip, and that only intrigued her more. She pulled on her typical, everyday outfit - pocket-watch necklace, tan pants, brown boots, and pale blue, slightly v-neck shirt. She pulled the sleeves up to her elbows, and pulled her honey colored hair back with an elastic before heading down to the galley to help Silver. He was already there, organizing ingredients and supplies and just doing a typical check to make sure everything was there.

"Morning, Silver" she said cheerfully.

"Mornin', Tabby."

Tabby began to do a once over of the foods to find out if there was anything to eat.

"Lookin' for somethin' imparticular?" Silver asked.

"No, I'm just hungry" said Tabitha. There was absolutely nothing she could eat. Well, actually, there was nothing she would eat. Silver always teased her about her picky eating habits; he said she'd never survive on a ship if she didn't just learn to eat what was in front of her, but she'd somehow managed so far.

"There's some purps in tha' barrel."

"You know I don't like purps!"

Silver chuckled. "If you were really hungry you wouldn't care what ya was eatin'." He always said that.

"I don't guess you could spare a minute to make me something…" she innocently suggested.

Silver turned around and sighed. "What'd you have in mind?"

"…Bonzabeast stew?" He rolled his eyes, but started getting the ingredients out anyway. She always wanted bonzabeast stew; it was one of the few foods she actually enjoyed.

"Thank you, Silver" she said. He grunted in reply, but started whistling. She knew he wasn't really upset with her if he whistled. She jumped up on the counter, swinging her legs, when she heard voices coming down the stairs.

"That woman! That _feline!_ Who does she think is working for whom?"

"It's _my_ map, and she's got me busing tables."

"I'll not tolerate a cross word about our captain!" That was Arrow, no doubt about it. He was the captain's right hand man and best friend. "There's no finer officer in this or any galaxy." He was escorting two men. One had quite obviously never sailed before and, judging by his space suit get-up that was probably forced on him by some pushy sails lady, he was more timid then adventurous. Tabitha had to bite her lip not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked. The other was a boy who looked to be about her age, brown hair, baggy clothes, kind of had that whole rebel-without-a-cause thing going for him... but in a suave, and somehow appealing sort of way. His attitude reflected his looks, and he wore a frown as if the whole world were against him.

"Mr. Silver!" Arrow addressed.

"Why, Mr. Arrow, sir, bringing such fine-looking distinguished guests to grace me humble galley. Had I known, I'd 'ave tucked in me shirt!" Silver joked.

Tabitha saw some expression flicker across the boy's face, like he had just made a realization of some kind.

"May I introduce Dr. Doppler, the financier of our voyage?" Arrow said as the man in the space-suit stepped forward.

"Love the outfit, doc." Silver said, looking him over with his robotic eye. Tabitha couldn't help the snicker that escaped her.

"Well, um, thank you…love the eye. Um, this young lad is Jim Hawkins." Dr. Doppler said, pulling the teenager up.

"Jimbo!" Silver said merrily, offering him the cyborg hand with many different contraptions on it, but quickly exchanging it for the one with just regular metal fingers with a grin. Jim glared, apparently unamused. _What is this kid's deal? Lighten up! _Tabitha thought to herself.

"Ah, now don't be too put of by this hunk o' hardware" he said, using the many different attachments to chop, slice, and dice the rest of the ingredients. "These gears 'ave been tough gettin' used to, but they do come in mighty handy from time to time." He added everything to the pot on the stove, mixing in a few spices, and sampling it to make sure it was right. "Here, now, 'ave a taste of me famous bonzabeast stew." He said, handing each of them a bowl.

Tabitha sighed and hopped off the counter._ Thanks, Silver. Don't worry about me, I'll just serve myself. I was only the one who asked you to make it in the first place…_ Tabitha thought sarcastically.

Dr. Doppler sampled it, "Mmm… delightfully tangy, yet robust."

"Ol' family recipe" Silver said. _Oh, brother. Here we go again… _she thought as she hopped back up on the counter to eat.

At that point, an eyeball bobbed to the top of the bowl, causing the doctor to squeal. "In fact, that was part o' the ol' family!" Silver laughed. Tabitha rolled her eyes. He always did that trick, and he always thought it was hilarious. "Just kiddin', doc. I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder. Go on Jimbo, 'ave a swig."

Jim was still staring skeptically at the bowl that had been handed to him. Suddenly, his spoon twitched and transformed into a tiny pink blob.

"Morph! You jiggle headed blob o' mischief! So that's where you was hidin'!" Silver teased as Morph finished off the rest of the stew, chirping cheerfully. Morph nuzzled up against Jim, who was still staring wide-eyed at the creature.

"What is that thing?" Jim questioned. "What is that thing?" Morph mocked as he turned into a miniature Jim, copying his every move.

"He's a morph! I rescued the li'l shape shifter on Proteus I. He took a side to me, we been together ever since." Silver said as Morph cooed to him before zipping over to Tabitha and pulling on her ponytail.

"Ow, Morph! Cut it out!" she said. "Cut it out!" he repeated. She smiled and held her mostly empty bowl out to him as an offering. He quickly devoured the rest of her stew and chirruped in appreciation.

"Tabby! You's so quiet I plum forgot you was here! Doc, Jimbo, this is Miss Tabitha Alexander." Silver introduced as she walked forward.

"Hi."

_Wow_. Jim thought to himself as he stepped closer to her. _I wasn't expecting there to be _anyone_ my age here, let alone a girl…and a pretty one at that._

"Hey." Jim smiled genuinely. Tabitha was taken aback a little at this. Didn't he hate the whole world a minute ago? But she smiled back, too. A bell sounded from somewhere on deck, signaling that the ship was about to leave port.

"We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch, doctor?" Arrow asked.

"Would I? Does an active galactic nucleus have super luminal jets?" he replied. Everyone stared silently. "...I'll follow you."

"Can I go to? Please?" Tabitha said turning to Silver. "Course ya can lass. Why don't you take Jimbo here with you?"

"Mr. Hawkins will stay here, in your charge, Mr. Silver." Arrow interjected before she could reply. Silver nearly choked on his stew. "Beggin' your parden, sir, but, uh…"

"Captain's orders! See to it the new cabin boy's kept busy." _Cabin boy? But that's my job! Well, cabin girl…but still. Who is this kid? _Tabitha thought. Jim looked alarmed.

"Aww…" "What? No…" "But, but…" "But you can't…" "I mean the lad is…" "You've got to…"

They tried to speak over each other, but it was no use, Arrow was already gone. They both sighed, rubbing their eyes with their fingers. Tabitha giggled at their similarities before turning and heading onto deck.

Yep, this trip was definitely going to be an interesting one.

**--Jim's POV--**

_Silver's got to be the cyborg Bones was talking about. What are the odds that he would tell me to "beware the cyborg" and there just so happens to be a different cyborg on the crew of the ship going to Treasure Planet? I guess I'll find out one way or another…_

I headed up on deck, mostly because Silver told me to get out of the galley and watch the launch, but I wanted to see Tabitha, too.

"All hands to stations!" Arrow shouted to the crew. Everyone hurried to get to there designated spot. Everyone, that is, except Tabitha. She was standing on the side of the ship, holding tightly to a rope for support.

"So…" I said jumping up onto the other side of it, "Your station is to stand by the…um, rope things?"

She at me a little surprised, but laughed. "The shrouds? No. Actually I'm _supposed_ to be the cabin girl, but it seems that you've taken over that position, so I guess I don't have a station anymore." She climbed agilely towards the middle of the shroud and faced outward.

"Well, you know, the job position is supposed to be called cabin _boy_ anyway..." I said climbing up next to her…well, trying to at least. Instead, my foot slipped off the edge of the rope I was stepping on, causing me to swing around so that I was hanging from the opposite side she was on. She swung around and hung next to me, though she did it on purpose and with much more grace.

"You know, that's probably the reason you're working _below_ deck." I turned to complain, but when I looked at her, I realized she was only kidding. I could feel myself blushing a little as I righted myself. "Haha, very funny…"

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that this is your first time on a ship."

"Ha…yeah, how'd you know?" I joked, making her laugh, which made me laugh.

Just then, the ship abruptly launched forward, causing her to suddenly fall into my arms. We locked eye contact for a second, then she blushed, "Um, sorry…lost my footing…"

"So is this your first time on a ship too?" I asked, helping her to regain her balance.

"Hardly. I've been on ships almost non-stop with Silver for the past 5 years."

"Silver? Is he –"

"Jimbo!" Silver interrupted. We both turned to look at him. "I got 2 new friends I'd like ya to meet…" I looked around expectantly, wondering who.

"Say hello to Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket." He said, throwing them to me.

"Yippee." _At least I caught them_. Tabitha snickered.

"I got your Mr. Mop" I mumbled as we both jumped back onto deck. Tabitha must have heard because she suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.

"I don' know why yer laughin' lass: you'll be workin' wit' 'im." Silver threw her a bucket and a rag towel. She scowled, and I couldn't help but laugh back at her.

We both worked on our own chores – I swabbed the deck while she polished the woodwork. I would have liked to have had a conversation with her, but I couldn't think of anything to say, and she was concentrating hard on her work, so I gave up. It didn't bother me, I was used to this type of labor from cleaning back at the inn, and it wasn't as if people talked to me much there, unless it was to scold me. A pang of homesickness struck me, but I shook it off; it was too early in the trip for that. I tried to focus on what me and my mom would be able to do with the money if - _No, when._ I corrected myself optimistically - I discovered Treasure Planet: how we would rebuild the inn, make it bigger, hire some workers so she didn't have to do everything herself... I guess I didn't realize I was daydreaming until one of the crew shoved me.

"Watch it, twerp!"

_What was that about?!_ I hadn't done anything, I was just standing there. I looked around for Tabitha, but she wasn't on deck anymore. Instead I saw a group of sailors clustered together, talking animatedly in hushed whispers. I tried to listen in discretely, but they noticed.

"What are you lookin' at, weirdo?" one of them said to me. Then it's head…or, at least, what had appeared to be his head, stepped to the side and the…stomach addressed me. "Yeah, weirdo."

A hiss from above made me turn around. "Cabin boysss should learn to mind their own businessss" a red creature with large yellow eyes that resembled a cross between a crab and a spider said to me as it climbed down the shrouds.

I probably should have let it go, but I wasn't about to look like a pushover and be bullied the rest of the trip. "Why? You got something to hide, bright eyes?"

He squinted at me and picked me up roughly by my jacket. "Maybe your earssss don't work ssssso well."

"Yeah, too bad my knows works just fine." It was out of my mouth before I even had time to think about what I was saying.

"Why, you impudent, little - " He threw me harshly against the mast, pinning me there with his claw around my neck. I kicked frantically and jerked at the vice around my throat. By this time a crowd had gathered, and judging by their cheering, none of them were on my side. Then I realized Tabitha was back, standing just behind the group with her arms crossed, watching the scene unfold. Her facial expression read something along the lines of "What the hell were you thinking?" _Great. First I'm a total clutz and now she's going to see me get pummeled to a pulp._

"Any last words, cabin boy?" The spider thing said, moving his free set of pincers closer to my neck and clicking them intimidatingly. Just then, when I was genuinely becoming afraid, a mechanical arm grabbed it and pulled the claw away from me.

"Mr. Scroop" Silver said nonchalantly, facing the other direction and casually eating a purp as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. "D'you ever see what happens to a fresh purp when you squeeze real HARD?" At "hard", he tightened his grip and twisted the creature's arm. Scroop hissed in pain and dropped me. I hit the deck hard and gasped for air, and Tabitha ran forward to offer me a hand.

"What's all this, then?" Mr. Arrow appeared suddenly._ Just what I need – to get in more trouble._ I was tempted to play innocence, but who was honestly going to believe that? "You know the rules. There'll be no brawling on this ship. Any further offenders will be confined to the brig for the remainder of the voyage." He narrowed his gaze from the whole crew to Scroop.

"Am I clear, Mr. Scroop?" He stared him down.

Scroop looked like he would have liked to hit him, but reluctantly just answered "Transparently" and with that, Silver shooed the crew away.

"Are you okay?" Tabitha turned back to me.

"Yeah, I'm alright, I just - "

A shove from her caught me off guard and knocked me back a couple of steps. "You've got to be the stupidest person I've ever met. And that's saying something considering how much time I've spent around sailors."

"What? I wasn't – "

"Jimbo! I gave you a job to – " Silver started, but I was tired of everyone interrupting me and thinking I was incompetent.

"Hey, I was doing it until that…bug thing – "

"Belay that! Now, I wan' this deck swabbed spotless. An' heaven help ya if I come back and it's not done. Morph, keep an eye on this _pup_. Lemme know if thar be anymore distractions..." He turned to Tabitha, then to me, looking questioningly at the pair of us. "Tabby, I think it'd be best if you come with me."

She started to follow him, but stopped and turned back around. "Look, I was just going to warn you that, unless you have a death wish, I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut around the crew. No offense, but you're not going to earn any respect from them. Believe me, I've tried it a million times on a hundred different crews, they'll see you how they choose to see you and it's not likely anything you do will change that."

"But your a _girl_."

She opened her mouth offended. "Yes, _Jim_, I am a girl. How very observant of you."

"I didn't mean it like that, I just mean that, you know, how girls react to a group of guys they're working with is different than how a guy would react. Guys have to... I don't know, prove themselves or something. I wasn't going to just ignore them and then let them torture me the rest of the trip! "

"Okay, fine. I just thought you'd listen to someone who was actually trying to be nice to you and that you might like some advice from someone who's been through this before. But whatever."

_You're making a wonderful first impression, Jim._ I felt bad, I was taking my embarrassment and anger out on her. I sighed. "You're right."

She looked up stunned. "What?"

"You're right. You were just trying to be nice. I'm sorry... for being a complete jerk."

She stared at me, still looking confused. "Oh... it's fine. I get where your coming from. Been there, done that. But really, just lay low and you'll be fine."

"Thanks," I smiled, trying to make up for being so rude.

"No problem..." she turned to leave, still looking a little shocked, then she stopped and turned back toward me. She looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if I were a question she needed an answer to. It only lasted a second before she scurried off to find Silver.

I stood there dumbstruck.

_Well...this is certainly going to be an interesting trip, to say the least._

* * *

**Okay, I changed this chapter around more than I had originally plan, but I kept coming up with ideas!**

**I hope you liked it!  
-Emily  
**


	3. The Past

**Thank you for the comments!  
They really make my day :]  
**

**Enjoy, you guys!  
-Emily**

**--Tabby's POV--**

I couldn't believe we were only a day into the voyage. It wasn't like we'd been doing a lot, but it just felt like everything took _so long_. I'd been scrubbing dishes for goodness knows how long. 5 hours, 5 minutes…I honestly couldn't tell. I guess at some point I must have zoned out, though it wasn't until Silver interrupted my thoughts that I noticed.

"Tabby!" he practically shouted, causing me to drop the pot I had in my hand.

"Geez, Silver, give me a heart attack why don't you."

"That was the fourth time I'd said yer name." he chuckled. "What's the matter with ya?"

"Nothing's the matter… I was just day dreaming, I guess" I replied as I picked up the pot and started scrubbing again.

"Hmm… and would those dreams happen to be about a boy by the name o' Jim Hawkins?" he asked smugly. I dropped the pot again.

"What?! No! He's just…we only…I mean…we just met a few hours ago!" I stuttered trying to form a complete sentence as he continued to stare at me with that smug look on his face.

Okay, so I was lying, but only half way, I had been thinking about Jim, but not like _that. _I was just remembering our conversation from earlier, but even so, I felt myself blushing when Silver called me out on it, so I turned away from him and continued with the dishes.

"No need to get defensive. I was only askin' a question…" he said as he began to work on putting the clean dishes away.

I wanted to say something, anything, but my mind went absolutely blank, so I just ignored him.

"Aww, now don't be like that. Ya know I's only teasin' ya. In fact, I think you and Jimbo would make a fine couple. I seen the way he looked at ya when I introduced ya's..."

I could feel my face growing warmer by the second. Why was this bothering me so much? I told Silver everything, I always asked for his advice - he was the only person I really could do that with, so why was I so freaked out by it now?

"No, Silver, we're just…friends, if that… we just met a few hours ago."

"Ya mentioned that already, lass."

I was going to die of embarrassment. I just wanted this conversation to end.

"Well… that's hardly enough time to know if you like someone. I don't even know if I like him as a friend yet, or if I even want him to be my friend. I mean, what's with that attitude problem of his? And him back talking Scroop? Is he just stupid? Maybe he's an idiot I don't want to associate myself with him."

"Who ya tryin to convince lass?" Silver chuckled. "I was only askin' cause I wanted to know if you wanted me to let ya work together, but seein' as how you think he's an idiot…"

"No, no I don't," I sighed. "I don't think he's an idiot. I just…" _Ugh, just keep digging the hole, Tabitha. You have to set this straight - now._ "I just don't know anything about him yet." I took a deep breath and continued, "I've never really gotten to spend time around people the same age as me, let alone be friends with them, so I don't really know where to begin…but he seems nice enough. And he is funny…so… I think I'd enjoy working with him…"

"So ya don't _like_ Jim?"

"I like him as a _friend_. Probably."

"And ya don't think he's an idiot?"

"No."

"And ya do wanna work with him?"

"Yes."

Silver paused and nodded his head. "Alright then. Tomorrow the two of ya will be workin' together."

"Okay then."

"Okay. An' your free for the night when ever ya finish with the dishes," he said and headed back on deck.

I finished washing everything and put it all away, the whole time thinking about her reactions during the conversation. _Good grief, Tabby, could you have freaked out anymore? You need to get your hormones under control; you don't even know him yet!  
_

I headed up to the deck, but stopped on the stairs when I suddenly realized something. I bit my lip to try to hide my smile as I remembered part of what Silver had said.

_I seen the way he looked at ya._

**--JIM'S POV—**

"Well this has been a fun day, huh? Making new friends, like that spider psycho" I joked with Morph, who'd been keeping me entertained while I spent several hours mopping the deck.

"Spider Psycho! Spider Psycho!" Morph repeated, turning into a mini-Scroop.

I couldn't help but laugh. "A little uglier."

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Morph giggled insanely as he turned into a crazed version of mini-Scroop.

"Pretty close."

"Well, thank heavens for li'l miracles – up here for an hour an' the deck's still in one piece" said Silver as he walked up to me.

I really felt like I needed to thank him for earlier. He saved my life. Okay, well maybe that's an exaggeration, but he definitely stopped me from embarrassing myself…anymore.

"Um, look. I, uh… what you did…uh…thanks."

Silver turned to me, looking slightly surprised, but shook it off quickly. "Didn't your pap ever teach ya to pick your fights a bit more carefully?"

I froze. Of course he would bring that up. I couldn't really blame him, it wasn't like he knew what had happened…but I still didn't want to talk about it, so I just turned the other way and began to mop back over what I had already done.

"Your father not the teachin' sort?"

"No," I sighed. "He was more of the… taking-off-and-never-coming-back sort."

"Oh. Sorry lad."

"Hey, no big deal. I'm doing just fine." I said, but sounded unconvincing even to myself.

"You know…you and Tabby's got more in common that I thought…" Silver said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ya both been through a lot. Seems like ya both had some hard times..."

"Why? Did her father leave too?" I questioned.

"No, can't tell ya. Ain't my place to say. But you can ask her tomorrow when the both of ya are workin' for me."

"What?"

"Well, since the cap'n has put you in my charge, like it or not, I'll be poundin' a few skills into that thick head o' yours to keep you out o' trouble."

"What?"

"From now on, I'm not lettin' you out o' me sight."

"You can't do – "

"You won't so much as eat, sleep, or scratch your bum without my say-so."

"Don't do me any favors!" I added sarcastically.

"Oh, you can be sure o' that my lad. You can be sure o' that," he said as he headed off.

I couldn't believe this._ I_ was the whole reason we were even going on this trip. _I_ was the one Bones gave the map to, _I_ figured out how to open it, _I_ was the one who wanted to go find Treasure Planet, and now I was going to be treated like a slave. Irritated, I picked up the bucket and mop and started to head back down to the galley. I was so distracted that I didn't pay enough attention to where I was walking, and ran into Tabby on the stairs, causing me to drop the bucket of dirty water.

"Whoa!"

"Oh, sorry! I'm sorry, I was… distracted, I guess. Did I splash you?" I felt terrible. _She's going to hate me by the end of this trip._

"Even if you did, I can't tell. I'm already soaked from doing the dishes," she said, walking back to a cupboard and pulling out a stack of towels.

"Oh. Right. Um, well, I'm still sorry. Here, I'll do it," I said as I took the towels, placed them beside me on the floor, and began trying to dry up the mess.

"I can help. It's fine." She knelt down across from me with a smile and took a towel from the stack.

We cleaned up the puddle, grabbing towel after towel and placing the soaked ones in the bucket. When it got down to the last towel, we both reached for it, her hand landing on top of mine. I looked up at her and she looked at me…

"I got it," I managed to say with a smile, even though my heart suddenly seemed to be beating a little harder.

She jerked her hand back. "Right. Sorry…" I couldn't help noticing the slight blush that swept across her cheeks. I added the last towel to the bucket and took it over to the counter. Neither of us had managed to say anything else. I turned around and faced her, which only added to the awkwardness of our silence.

"Um…so why were you distracted?" she asked.

"What?"

"When you ran into me, you said you were distracted."

"Oh, yeah. Um… Silver told me that he thinks we're kind of similar." _Okay, a subject that I was originally going to use tomorrow, but at least it was a topic._

"He did? Did he say why?"

"Well, um, he said that we'd both been through a lot." I said as I approached her and began to head up the stairs.

"Oh…did he tell you anything? About my past?" she questioned as she followed me.

"Nah. He said it wasn't his place to say."

We headed over to the edge of the boat and looked out silently. The silence wasn't tense anymore though, it was pretty relaxed, which made it last longer.

"So… what is it?" I asked as curiosity finally got the best of me.

"What is what?"

"Your past. The story."

"Oh, of course. It's, um…well…"

"I mean, you don't have to tell me. I was just curious because Silver mentioned it, but if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. Really."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind," she said honestly. "Here, let's make a deal – I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"Deal," I said shaking her hand.

"Okay. Do you want the simple version? 'Cause the long version could take a while to tell…"

"I've got nothing but time. Whatever you're comfortable with," I said as I sat down on a barrel. She took a deep breath and came to sit beside me.

"Okay, I guess I'll start with my parents…"

From there she told me everything. Her parents marriage, the death of her mom, the pocket watch, taking care of her dad, his death, and how she had never cried, but she was still leaving something out.

"So how'd you end up with Silver?"

"Oh…" she paused and began fiddling with her hair. "Well, after my father died I knew I had to go get a job to support myself, so I headed to the nearest space port. I left one morning, spent the whole day walking, and finally got there a little after sundown. I was exhausted and hungry and had kind of begun to regret my decision to travel this far. I walked around, trying to find a restaurant or an inn or something, anything. Finally I found an inn that looked nice. They didn't have any job openings, but the owner gave me some food and told me a place that was hiring that wasn't too far away. I followed his directions, but I guess he told me the directions wrong, or I misunderstood or something because I ended up in the bad part of town. I didn't want to stop because I thought as long as I looked like I knew where I was going, no one would bother me…"

"And then Silver found you?"

"Hang on, I'm getting there. I eventually ended up at a dead end. I turned around to try to make my way back but some figures stepped out from the shadows and blocked my path. I didn't know what to do, so I just kept walking; I mean, it was really the only option I had. Of course, they stopped me. At first, they just teased me, but then they started making, um …_suggestive_ comments. I was beginning to panic and just kept trying to walk around them, but then finally one of them cornered me against the wall and put his arms on either side of me so I couldn't go anywhere…"

She paused and took a few deep breaths.

"You could stop now if you want. I don't want to make you uncomfortable." I said. I was really beginning to question Silver's suggestion that I ask her about this.

"No," she said as she took one last shuddering breath. "He leaned really close to me… I remember thinking how creepy his eyes were. Then he started running his hand up and down the side of my body, from my knees to my…shoulders," she ended abruptly as she began to blush and turn her head so she wouldn't make eye contact with me. I knew what she really meant to say. "It was like being paralyzed. I couldn't scream. I couldn't fight. I don't even remember breathing. I was so scared they would…" she paused again. I really wanted to comfort her, to say something reassuring, but I didn't know what to do and I didn't want to freak her out, but she sighed and finished before I had much time to think about it. "But luckily that's when Silver showed up. I guess he knew the guys from a crew or something, but he told them to get lost, and they did. Then he asked me if I was okay and…" she lightened up a little, "Then I fainted," she ended with a laugh.

"You fainted?" I really couldn't picture her as as the swooning type.

"Haha, yeah. I guess I was just so tired and then all that adrenaline… I don't know. I just remember waking up the next morning in a bed. Silver was already awake and making breakfast. He introduced himself, explained what happened, offered me a job as his cabin girl, and I've been traveling with him ever since," she finished. "He's the only one who knows this story other than you."

"Whoa, really?"

"Yeah. That's why I was kind of nervous telling it... I've never actually said it out loud before." She shrugged and smiled. "So what about you? It's your turn."

"Oh, well, I guess…my mom and dad owned an inn, the Benbow. My dad was always leaving on journeys that got longer and longer until one day, he left and never came back. I've been helping my mom run the inn ever since. Um…the end."

"What? There is no way that is your whole life," she complained.

"Actually, it pretty much is. I don't know…what else do you want me to tell you?"

"I don't know…what do you like to do?"

"I don't really have much free time, but I guess when I do, I like to ride my solar surfer. Well, I did until the police confiscated it anyway."

"Wait – you got in trouble with the police?"

"Um, yeah. More than once, actually, mostly for riding my solar surfer in restricted areas or without a license or something. The last time they just confiscated my board, but the next time, its straight to juvy."

"Whoa. I thought you were kind of rebellious, but I didn't think you were a criminal," she said, looking me over with a slight grin.

"I'm not! I mean, I don't… it's just…I guess that's the only time I ever really feel free. I don't do it to rebel, I just like the way it feels. The wind in my hair, the sudden drops, having to have perfect balance… wow, that was pretty cheesy," I ended lamely and rubbed the back of my neck.

"No it wasn't. That's what I wanted to hear - that was interesting. I think we're even," she grinned.

I smiled back at her, both of us just standing there, until eventually she shuffled her feet and interrupted, "Well…we should probably go to bed. Long day of work for Silver tomorrow…"

"Yay," I said with mock enthusiasm. We started to head down to the sleeping quarters, but then I was struck with a question.

"Hey, Tabitha."

"Hmm?"

"Why did you agree to tell me about your past?"

She turned to face me. "Well, 3 reasons actually. 1, Silver suggested that we had similar histories, and I wanted to find out. 2, if we did have similar histories, I didn't expect you to go all 'Oh, you poor dear!' on me. I _hate_ when people do that. And 3, you seemed trustworthy."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Why? Was I wrong?"

"No, not all! I am, I just don't get that a lot. Thanks."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know you were a criminal until _after_ I told you," she joked.

I laughed and we continued heading down to our beds, stopping again at the bottom of the stairs. We said goodnight to each other and went our separate ways. I headed over to my bunk, and she headed over to her cot. Because she was the only girl in the sleeping quarters, a single bed had been placed against the wall a small distance away from the others and a curtain of fabric had been hung around it to provide her with some privacy. I saw her disappear behind it before taking of my shoes and shirt and lying down. It was a while before I actually fell asleep, though. My mind was racing, too busy thinking about spending the next day with Tabitha to relax.

Meanwhile, Tabitha was busy scribbling away in her diary, writing more than she had in a long time.


	4. A Night Under the Stars

**Yay for more reviews! Thanks to jimfan and 23jk!  
If you didn't notice, I had to change Tabitha's last name from Valentine to Alexander.  
I realized that one of the other Treasure Planet fanfictions had an OC with that last name.  
Keep reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it!**

**Enjoy!  
Emily**

* * *

**_Dear Diary:_**

**_I still don't really know what to think about Jim. He's like a walking contradiction. He's handsome, but he dresses so rebelliously. He's a gentlemen, but he seems to hate the world. It just makes him so intriguing or something. I don't know. He makes me feel… girlish, and not necessarily in a good way. I've never been one to go boy crazy, and it's early, so I can't say if I like him yet, but there is definitely something about him... I guess at least it's safe to say I'm glad he's here. Even if we're just friends, it's nice to have someone here my age._**

Tabitha hadn't realized that her diary entries were becoming more frequent and more repetitive. She used to only only write when something especially interesting happened, which was rare in her life of dishes and mops. Recently, though, she had begun writing every day, despite how tired she was. Most, if not all, of her entries were about Jim – what she learned about him, something funny he had said, some characteristic she'd noticed about him, like how he rubs his neck when he's nervous, or something of that sort. When she finished writing, she hid her diary in the rafters. This was a new thing she had started doing. Normally she just left it on her bed, but her entries felt more personal to her now, so she tried to keep them a little safer.

It was a little over a week into the trip now, but Tabby and Jim hardly realized. Each day blended into the next as a never ending repetition of cleaning, eating, and sleeping. After an entire day of swabbing the deck and doing the dishes and whatever other chores Silver came up with for them, they were so tired they could barely make it to their beds. Silver did let them work together like he promised, though, and they had begun to learn a little more about each others lives and personalities. Silver was apparently the only one who figured out what was really beginning between them; the crew ignored them for the most part, the captain only paid attention to them when she was giving orders, the doctor was just oblivious in general, and Jim and Tabitha were both too young and new at this to realize, but Silver's enthusiasm to the new found relationship was enough to make up for everyone else.

This day was just like any other, except that it was about twice as hot as it had been. Their current path had led them fairly close to a star so the temperature was sweltering hot. You couldn't walk on deck without breaking a sweat. The crew had been removing any item of clothing they could spare; even Jim shed the jacket he never took off, and Tabby had been going around in a camisole, instead of her typical long but rolled up sleeves, and had pulled her hair into a bun instead of just a ponytail. Most girls would have fainted at the idea of wearing only an undershirt in front of men, but Tabby, who had spent the majority of her life around guys, couldn't have cared less. She didn't care if she looked feminine; she cared if she was too hot.

When night finally arrived, everyone but Jim and Tabitha headed to bed. They had to put in extra time scrubbing the dinner dishes. They moved like robots, no longer talking, focusing only on finishing so they could go to sleep. Being in the galley was even hotter than being on deck due to the heat from cooking and the lack of ventilation, so now they were both barefoot, Tabby had rolled up her pants to her knees, and Jim had rolled up his sleeves. Tabby finished earlier than Jim, so she gave him a half-hearted wave and went to bed while he finished. Once she was gone, Jim stripped off his shirt. He normally would have took it off hours ago, but thinking about Tabitha seeing him half-naked made him somewhat self-conscious. Now a little cooler, he was able to finish up quickly. He carried his discarded clothing back to the sleeping quarters, tossing it haphazardly next to his hammock and sitting down. Only when he had laid down and finally been able to relax did he remember he'd left his jacket out on deck. He couldn't leave it there and risk losing it, it was too important; it had belonged to his father. So, despite being so tired he could hardly think straight and so achy he could barely bend his legs, he sighed and went back to retrieve it. When he got there though, what he saw caused him to forget about how tired and hot and sore he was.

There were dozens, possibly hundreds, of shooting stars. It was the most beautiful thing Jim had ever seen. He stared in awe for a minute, and then realized he _had_ to show Tabitha – she would love it. He raced back down to her bed and, assuming she was already asleep, tugged the curtain back from around her bed. "Tabitha!"

**--Tabby's POV—**

I didn't normally wear nightgowns; they were always to girly: edged with delicate lace and in colors like lilac and peach. However, when it was this hot, I would have preferred to sleep in nothing. Seeing as _that_ was hardly appropriate, I settled for the gown. The sheer fabric was lighter than anything else I had and was too cool to pass up. I shook my hair down from the messy bun I had pulled it up in and shook it out so that it fell in loose waves. I pulled out my diary, but instead of writing, I just went back and re-read some of my recent entries. That's when I realized how much I wrote about Jim. He was mentioned in _every_ entry, and was the central point of most.

_Do I…like Jim? I mean, he's kind and funny and good looking... extremely good looking, in fact, but…aren't we just friends? I've only known him about a week! Surely I couldn't have developed feelings that fast… No, you're just confused; you only think you like him because you are glad that you finally get to hang around someone your own age. He's your friend…  
_

I shook my head. It was too late and I was too tired to continue trying to sort out how I felt. I stood on my bed and placed the diary back in the rafters. I had just jumped down to the floor when someone ripped aside the curtain around my bed and shouted my name. Though I wasn't indecent, I was hardly dressed properly, and my first instinct was to cover myself. I placed my hands in front of my chest and turned around in one fluid motion only to see Jim standing there…shirtless.

I couldn't move.

…_you're incredibly charming and heart-stoppingly handsome friend.  
_

**--Jim's POV--**

_She's gorgeous _was the first thought that came to my mind. She was wearing the same amount of clothing she had been earlier, but instead of the pants and shirt, she was now in some sort of gown thing. Her hair fell loosely to just past her shoulders. I'd thought she was pretty all along, but this was just…wow.

_I think the stars will have to settle for the second most beautiful thing I have ever seen._

"Jim!" she squealed as she tried pointlessly and unnecessarily to cover herself. That's when I realized I had not only busted in on her privacy, but was now standing there gawking at her in her night clothes. _The sheet was there for a reason, Jim._

"Oh, I…I'm sorry! I thought…you…asleep," I tried in vain to explain, now looking away, completely embarrassed. "Sh-should have asked before I…sorry, I… sorry." I rubbed the back of my neck. Way to go. _She's going to kill you… or never speak to you again…_ I had a hard time deciding which one of those punishments would actually be worse.

She blushed too, but relaxed a little. "It's alright. Well, no, I mean, don't let it happen again, please, but no harm, no foul." I looked back at her and she shrugged and half-smiled.

"Oh, yeah, I guess. I…sorry." _Damnit, Jim. The least you could do is apologize correctly._

Another one of our now infamous awkward silences followed.

"So, um…what's with all the excitement?" she asked, still not really making eye contact and rocking back and forth on her heels and toes.

"Oh! Right! You have _got _to come see this!"

"See what?" she questioned, but I grabbed her wrist and began excitedly pulling her back up to the deck. "Is it really that urgent?"

"Yes. Look!"

All her features lit up and she gasped. Her reaction made me smile, and I couldn't help feeling kind of proud that I had made her that happy.

"Wow… this is…wow."

"I know. That's why I was in such a hurry to come get you; I wasn't sure how long it would last."

"I'm glad you did…wow," she repeated as she sat down and continued gazing at the sky. I went and sat next to her.

"Are we supposed to make that many wishes?" she said after a minute.

"What?"

"You know, you're supposed to make a wish every time you see a shooting star. There must be hundreds of these; do we have to come up with a wish for every single one of them?"

"Huh…I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it," but now I was thinking about it. _"... but t__he only thing I could think of to wish for is you._"

"What?" she turned sharply to face me.

_Wait – had I just said that out loud?_ "…What?"

"Did you just…?" she faltered.

_Oh no, I had. _She stared at me wide eyed. I was caught, and even if I could have covered it somehow, the fact that my face was now red as a tomato probably clued her in.

"Well, I…I mean…I-It's…I-I'm glad you're here. On the boat... with me."_ Real nice save, Jim. Good job indeed. What on Montressor is she going to think of you? _I scratched my neck nervously._  
_

"Oh. Well, good…b-because I'm…I-I'm really glad I'm here on the boat with you, too."

I looked up surprised; that was not the reaction I had expected at all. She was looking directly at me and I noticed her cheeks were a little rosier. My heart pounded wildly against my chest… I was leaning closer… she was still looking at me, drawing nearer…I was going to kiss her…

But then she shivered unexpectedly, breaking our eye contact. I pulled the typical gentlemen trick and wrapped the jacket I was still holding in my hand from earlier around her shoulders. I felt awful. I was making a complete fool of myself. Of course she was cold, she was out in the middle of the night wearing nothing but a skimpy nightgown made out of very thin material… _Stop it! Focus, Jim. _Besides, it was WAY too early to be kissing. _I cannot believe I was about to do that! I've got to stop being so impulsive, it never ends well.  
_

"Oh, you don't have to... thanks. You sure _you _don't need it?" she wondered, slowly giving my bare chest a once over.

"No, I'm fine," I assured her, but blushed a little at the attention. _What was it about her that made me so… I don't think there's a word to describe it. _She pulled her hands into the sleeves. The jacket was loose on me, but she was swimming in it.

We looked back at each other, but it was obvious that our moment, or whatever that had been, had reached the point of no return, and we both laughed nervously. She seemed to be completely okay with the current situation. _Maybe she didn't realize..._

She laid down and I laid down next to her, being sure to leave enough space between us. She however was intent on filling the gap, and scooted her arm over so that we were almost touching. The hair on my arm stood on end and my body was on high alert. I gazed at the sky and tried to calm my rapid heart rate. _I can't remember the last time I felt this..._

One way or another, she eventually ended up in the bend of my shoulder with her head lying on my chest. I think she must have noticed how fast my heart was racing because I heard her giggle. But I didn't care, I couldn't have stopped smiling if I had wanted to.  
_This happy. That's what she makes me feel – happy. Happier than I have been in a long time…_

Eventually, the shower of stars stopped. "Hey, I think it's over now, Tabitha. Tabitha?"  
I gently nudged her with my arm and looked down at her, only to see she was sound asleep. I smirked a little; she looked so peaceful, I didn't want to disturb her. I decided to wait a few more minutes, until I was sure she was deep enough asleep that I could pick her up without disturbing her; then I could just carry her to her bed…

* * *

**Aww, how sweet.**

**Hey - I'm a little worried about my writing style and I wanted to make sure people liked it before I bring Jim and Tabitha any closer.  
Am I doing a good job showing how they feel about each other? ****I'm trying to portray them as young/awkward/kind of confused by their feelings...**** Is that how it reads?**  
**I feel like I need to work on writing from Jim's POV, but it's kind of hard to know how he would react or what he would say in this situation.  
There are no examples in the movie, so I've just kind of been going with it, just writing what feels right.  
I want him to look like a gentlemen, not a sissy.  
I can't really tell how its coming across, but I hope I haven't completely ruined him, or any of the characters for that matter.  
**

**Please leave any tips, comments, suggestions, etc. you have.  
Thanks and I hope you've liked it so far!  
**


	5. The Next Day

**I decided to go ahead and update because this is one of my favorite parts and because I got more reviews! Yay!  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

My dreams that night varied - stars and constellations, standing in the shrouds with Tabitha, solar surfing back at the Benbow, listening to Silver tell stories over dinner... The only constant thing was the lingering scent of something that I couldn't quite place, but was familiar nonetheless, something that I related to happiness. Next I dreamed about Tabitha watching the stars with me. The scenario played through just the same as it had that night... until I actually got to kiss her. It was a shock, both mentally and physically, but I composed myself quickly. Soon, it changed from just a tender kiss to something a little more passionate, more exciting. I could feel my heart racing, but in a good way. A _very _good way...

"Ahem!" A rather stern voice said over me.

That's when I woke up and realized it was all just a dream. _Dreams always have to end at the best parts._

Then my mind snapped to reality and was immediately swamped with questions. _Who said that? Why is it so bright? Why is my bed so hard? What is my arm trapped under?_ But as I jolted out of my dreamy state, I remembered. I opened my eyes to see Silver, Doc, the Captain, and Arrow standing over me…us. I gulped and blushed; I knew they didn't actually know what I had been dreaming about, but there silent stares seemed to suggest they did.

"Um, Tabitha? Tabitha. Tabitha, wake up!"

**--Tabitha's POV--**

I was unceremoniously awoken from my sleep by being shaken and shouted at. I opened my eyes, but it was so bright I had to immediately close them again. _Where am I? What…Oh. Right… _I reopened my eyes to see a group of people standing above me. Wide eyed, I turned to my right to face Jim and noticed he had the same stunned look on his face. We both scrambled to our feet and I hugged the jacket tighter around me. _At least Jim let me use this last night. It would be way more embarrassing if I was wearing only the nightgown_.

Then we were both just standing there, with our mouths hanging open, trying to form words. I'm not sure about Jim, but I definitely wasn't making eye contact with anyone. I took up my nervous habit of fiddling with my hair. _Oh no. What am I supposed to say? What are they thinking? Nothing happened! We just fell asleep. Tell them something, Tabby! Tell them anything! _I finally looked up enough to see the strict and disapproving faces of Captain Amelia and Mr. Arrow and the amused and understanding faces of Dr. Doppler and Silver. We were both still standing there, trying to explain, but we hadn't managed to actually say anything intelligible.

"We…w-we just…fell asleep," I finally managed to get out.

Silver smirked. "No one's askin' fer explanations, lass."

I blushed harder and swallowed, my heart was about to beat out of my chest; I couldn't imagine how guilty we must look right now. We were asleep together, both of us half dressed, lying incredibly close together with my head on his chest, and now our nervous fidgeting seemed to incriminate us even more. I glanced at Jim out of the corner of my eye; he was looking anywhere but at me or the group surrounding us, running his fingers through his hair, and blushing just as much as I was.

"Yes, well, as happy as I'm sure you both are in the throws of young love, I expect you to be appropriately dressed and at your stations in five minutes. Is that clear?" Captain Amelia ordered, still looking displeased.

"Yes, ma'am," we both murmured quietly, but my mind was shouting: _Young love?! Wait just a second - _

She looked us over, and I thought I saw her smile ever so slightly before she turned and left with the rest of the group. Jim was still rubbing his neck incessantly, and I was girlishly twisting my hair. We made eye contact and, if it was possible, blushed harder. With a nervous laugh we hurried down to change.

**Later that Day**

Jim and Tabby had started off the day working together, but Silver had separated them by the time noon rolled around. They hadn't been able to look each other in the eye all day and so they kept tripping over each other's feet or running into one another. Silver got sick of them constantly apologizing to each other for one clumsy thing or another and thought it would probably be best if they took a break from each other for a while.

Tabby had been moved to cleaning the galley while Silver cooked dinner. He had tried to start up a conversation with her a couple of times, but she wasn't her usual talkative and attentive self; all she would say was "Yeah" or "Mm-hmm" or "That's nice", so he gave up, knowing perfectly well what was on her mind instead. Periodically, she would smile or bite her lip, but that was the only insight that anyone would have to what, or – more appropriately – who, she was thinking about. It was only when she had been wiping the same table for a solid five minutes that he decided to intervene.

"I think ya got that one clean, Tabby."

"What? Oh, right," she moved over to the next table and started to clean it. When she looked up, Silver was eying her and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What's with the look?"

"I could ask ya' the same thing! What was it that had ya so distracted a minute ago, hmm?" She bit her lip again, still trying – and failing – to hide her smile. He laughed and shook his head.

"What?" she asked putting her hands on her hips. Silver laughed harder.

"I'm sorry, Tabby, it's jus' you look so funny."

"Well thanks so much!"

"Come on, lass. Ya know ya ain't been actin' like yerself. I don't think ya stopped smilin' since this mornin'…" he casually hinted.

"Silver, me and Jim are just friends."

"I didn't say a word about Jim. You brought him up yerself jus' now."

Her face flushed pink. "Yeah, well…that's what you were getting at!"

"Well, I weren't born yesterday. I can tell what's goin' on. Why don't ya just' tell the lad ya like him and make it official?"

"I don't _like_ him!"

"'Course ya don't, lass," Silver said sarcastically. She was trying to think of something else to say when there conversation was interrupted by the rest of the crew loudly coming down for dinner.

Jim was the last to come down and as soon as Tabitha saw him, the blushing fit started all over again. Jim headed straight towards her, "Hi." Silver rolled his eyes at their awkwardness.

"Hi. Um…how was the rest of your day?"

"Well, it was work and I didn't have anyone to talk to except Morph, but he mostly just wanted to make my job as hard as possible, so it could have been better," he shrugged indifferently.

"Yeah, same here. Well, no, actually, I had Silver to talk to… but I missed working with you."

"You did?"

"Y-yeah, it's…it's more fun when you're around…" she glanced down nervously.

"I happen to agree with you." He smiled. She looked up and smiled back and they shifted just a little bit closer to each other.

Apparently, there conversation wasn't quite as private as they had thought, because at that, several members of the crew, "Aww"-ed sarcastically and Mr. Onus started up a childish chant:  
"Jimbo and Tabby sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" he sing-songed before bursting to a fit of laughter which the rest of the crew was quick to join in on when they saw the the lovebirds' embarrassed reactions.

Jim started to object, but Tabitha beat him to it. "Hey, shut up!"

"Ooh, touchy subject, is it?" one crewman taunted.

"Yes! I mean, no! I-It's…it's none of your business!" she defended.

"Hey, Jim! Are you gonna step in, or just let your girlfriend fight your battles for you?" another sailor interjected.

"Hey!" Jim turned angrily. "You were talking to both of us, so she has a say so in it too. But yes, as a matter of fact, I will step in. Butt out of our business and leave us alone." He started to turn back around, but decided to add, "And she's _not_ my girl friend!"

Tabitha gave a quiet gasp, but Jim heard and turned to look at her. She looked a bit hurt, but quickly shook the expression from her face and became suddenly fascinated by a lock of her hair.

"Th-that is…I just…well, I haven't asked her. No! I mean, she is my friend…and she's a girl, but she's not…uh, we're not – "

"Jim, I think ya need to learn the meaning of the expression, 'Quit while yer ahead,'" Silver interrupted Jim's sputtering. "You two jus' eat yer dinner." He handed Jim and Tabitha each a bowl, then turned on the rest of the crew. "And you lot need to leave 'em be. They've got enough on there minds without the lot o' ya nosin' around in their business."

Jim and Tabby looked up at each other, then quietly went and sat down at a table together. Jim took that as a good sign and after a minute finally managed to say something.

"Look, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to come out the way it did. I just meant – "

"I know what you meant, Jim. It's fine," she said hurriedly, relieved that he had ended the awkward silence.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. W-we haven't known each other that long – "

"Exactly."

" – a-and we _are_ just _friends_ – "

"Right."

" – so yeah, I know what you meant," she smiled earnestly.

"Okay. I just know how that sounded and I didn't want you to think I… didn't like you or something. Cause I do – I-I think you're really great."

"Oh, thank you," she smiled brightly. "But I didn't think that, anyway."

"So…we're good?" he tested.

"We're great," she grinned.

From there, they laughed and there conversation switched to lighter topics, and soon they had returned to their normal selves.

After dinner was finished, Jim headed straight to bed. It was Silver's and her night to clean the dishes, so Tabitha helped him gather them, yet again daydreaming the whole time. She had collected a pretty big stack of bowls when she turned around and ran smack into Silver. The bowls wobbled precariously before falling and luckily being caught by his cyborg arm.

"Careful, thar, lass. That's the only bowls we got!" he kid as he took the rest of the bowls from her arms and put them all in the sink.

"S-sorry." She stepped to his side and began to dry them as he handed them off to her, but her look was still vacant and far out. When they finished, he confronted her.

"If ya don't get yar head out o' the clouds, I'm gonna have to find me a new cabin girl," he said turning to face her and crossing his arms.

"Hey! I was just -"

"Daydreamin'. I know, lass." He shook his head at her again. "Here I was thinkin' that if I separated the two o' ya, maybe ya could focus an' get yer work done."

"I did get my work done!"

"Eventually, but don't preten**'** like ya been payin' attention to a thing that's happened."

"I was too paying attention!"

"Really, now? Well, in tha' case, what'd we have for dinner?"

She scoffed. "Easy. We had…" she stopped. What had they had? Silver had handed her a bowl, or was it a plate? No, it was a bowl: everyone had had a bowl, but what had been in it? She had been so distracted by her conversation with Jim… she could clearly remember everything they had talked about, but not a thing about what she had eaten. Had she even eaten? Silver was staring at her with raised eyebrows, waiting on her to make her point.

"That doesn't prove anything…"

"Purp soup! That's what we had! I know for a fact that ya hate purps, but ya ate the whole bowl an' I never heard one complaint out a ya!" he finished and sighed.

"Well… maybe I was finally hungry enough that I didn't care what I was eating," she suggested light-heartedly. He chuckled, but then his demeanor changed.

"Listen, Tabitha..." she stopped and turned around. She knew this was serious. He only called her Tabitha if something serious was happening. "I know yer 15, an' a gal on top o' that, an' heaven knows I won't try to understand what it is yer thinkin', an' I know that I'm really only s'posed to be in charge a ya when yer workin, but…" he stopped. She looked up. He adjusted his hat nervously. "Well, truth be told… I care about ya, lass. You've been with me fer 5 years, an' now yer… almos'... well, almos' like a daughter to me. I know I'm not yer father, so by no means will I tell ya how to live yer life, but…I want ya to be careful with this Jim business. I just don't wanna see you get hurt."

Tabitha was stunned. This was so unlike Silver. He was never this serious about anything."But I thought that... that you wanted us to be together?"

"'Course I do. I can see that ya really like the lad, an' he feels the same about ya, but ya haven't even known each other 2 weeks yet. You hardly know 'im. I just don't want to let yer heart get away from ya. This stuff can be trickier then ya expect. Just…be careful, lass."

Tabitha stood up, walked over to him, and threw her arms around him. He was a little shocked, but returned her embrace.

"Thank you, Silver. I promise I'll be careful."

"Yer welcome, lass," he said squeezing her a little tighter for just a second, then letting go of the embrace. "Now then, go an' get yerself some shut eye, I'll finish up down 'ere."

He pushed her off toward the door. She shot him one last smile before heading off to bed.

Silver was left there looking upset and sighing worriedly.

* * *

**That's all for now! But remember, the more reviews I get, the quicker I post the next section!  
The next part is the exciting part - the supernova!**

**I still appreciate any comments you want to leave!  
Thank you for reading!**


	6. Face Your Fears

**Hey, don't worry, I'm still here! (Pun intended :D)  
**

**So...I lied. Sorry, I didn't mean to!  
I just started working out some of the kinks in the story, and the was suddenly struck with the inspiration for this chapter.  
I really like that I decided to add this, so I hope you're not too mad that you have to wait for the Supernova.**

**I promise - it WILL be the next chapter!**

* * *

**A FEW DAYS LATER**

**--Tabby's POV—**

**_Dear Diary:_**

**_I knew all along this trip was going to be interesting, but it's unlike anything I could have expected. It seems like every day there's some new thing I didn't see coming that completely takes me by surprise. Like the conversation with Silver – it was nice, but caught me completely off guard. I feel bad that I didn't have a clue how to respond to that. It takes guts to say that to someone, and I didn't even return it. But I mean, I hadn't really realized before that I seem him as a father. Then of course there's Jim. I don't even know what to say about it. Having a million different feelings about someone at once and no words at all to express it is probably the most frustrating thing I've ever known. The best I can come up with is different, he makes me feel different from anything I've felt before. I like it, but its confusing and sudden and even though I like it a lot, I feel like I'm rushing into something. Maybe I do just need to take Silver's advice and be careful._**

_  
_It was lunch time, but I hadn't been hungry, so I'd grabbed my diary and headed to the kitchen to be alone and try to sort out everything. Normally, all I had to do was write down my feelings and then I could relax, but that's impossible to do when the words to explain your feelings don't exist. I sighed heavily and tried to take deep breaths. Nowadays I had an almost constant tension in my chest, like a huge ball of energy was trying to burst escape and I had to hold it back. It always got especially bad around Jim…

_It's normal. Just a physical attraction, Tabby. You think he looks good and so you get nervous around him. That's all. It's just physical…_

I sighed. I couldn't even reassure myself.

"Tabby!" I heard Silver call from the upper deck.

"Coming!" I shouted. I got up and tried to figure out somewhere I could put my diary, just temporarily. It was a secret - one I intended to keep - from everyone, including Silver, so running across the deck to put it back where it went wasn't an option, that would only make people curious and then they might try to go find it… I shuddered to think about what that could mean. But I couldn't carry it around with me, either.

"Tabitha!" this time Jim called instead.

I ran to the counter and flung open the nearest cabinet. It was just a stack of cookware, no one would be rummaging around here and accidentally find it except Silver, and I'd have the chance to get it before he does. I placed it in a pot and slammed the door shut, praying to heaven that it wouldn't be found.

"Tabby!" Silver shouted more impatiently. I raced up the steps and found them both standing there waiting for me. My chest tightened, just like it always did at the sight of Jim, and I blushed a little, sensing that they could tell exactly how I felt.

"There ya are! I's beginnin' to think ya got lost. Come on, I need the two o' ya to help me."

We followed Silver down to the longboat docking bay. He flipped a lever to open the hatch and I had to gulp and step back slightly. _Just don't look down_.

"Alrigh', come an' help on this side," Silver said heading to the edge of the boat. I eased my way over, still trying to avoid looking at the gaping hole in the floor. We untied the ropes and the boat shifted out a little. "Now one o' ya jump over to that side and untie it."

_Please not me. Oh, please, please, please not me._ Thankfully, Jim jumped over voluntarily as I breathed a sigh of relief. Silver stepped into the boat as the mechanism holding it released and he descended through the door of the hatch. I was curious what he doing, but I wasn't going to look down to find out, so I turned to face Jim. He was staring at the boat looking upset.

"You okay, Jim?"

"Yeah…fine…" he said, still staring down. Despite myself, I looked down to see what it was he was concentrating on. Bad idea – my vision blurred, my heart beat erratically, my head swirled, I felt nauseous, and my skin turned cold and clammy. I leaned into a support beam and wrapped my arms around it, closed my eyes and tried to block out the panic that swept over me.

"Tabitha? Hey, Tabitha, what's wrong?" Jim had apparently noticed I wasn't well and he sounded genuinely worried. I was too afraid to move at all, worried it would make my symptoms worse, so I just stayed still and tried to steady myself.

"Come on, Jimbo!" I heard Silver shout to Jim as he raised the longboat a little closer to us. Jim jumped down.

"What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" I heard Jim ask Silver when he landed.

"She's scared," he answered quietly, apparently trying not to embarrass me.

"Of what?"

"Heights."

I heard Jim let out what was almost a laugh. "You're kidding, right? She's spent the last 5 years flying through space…and she's scared of heights?"

"She says the ship don't bother her 'cause its so big, she don't even notice how high up ya are, but in on of these t'ings, ya can't help but t' notice."

"I-I am _not_ s-s-scared," I finally managed to say, but my shaky voice wasn't convincing anyone. I wanted to prove it, even if it was lie, so I opened my eyes and looked down at them, just them, not the vast, empty space around them... "I… I-I'm just... not comfortable with it."

"Aww, come on, Tabby, why don't ya try it again? Ya haven't been in one for years now! Maybe ya changed yer mind."

"I don't think so." I gulped again and looked away.

They seemed to give up trying to convince me because Silver started showing Jim the controls. I settled my nerves as much as I could and was about to turn and walk away when Jim stopped me.

"You sure you don't want to come?" I opened my eyes and saw that he had raised the boat back up a little so that I didn't have to look down anymore. "Come on, it's just like the ship except smaller. What's the problem?"

"The problem is that I don't feel safe. It's too fast and there's absolutely nothing to keep you from falling out and - "

Jim stood up and held out his hand to me. "Come on."

My heart fluttered, but still I declined.

"You can hold my hand the whole time if you want to," he tried to appease me.

It was working.

"And I won't go fast, if you don't want me to. I promise."

_Well…_

He was still standing there offering his hand.

"Promise?" I asked, still a skeptic.

He smiled. "Promise."

I sighed reluctantly and took his hand. The second we touched, all my phobic symptoms left. I warmed up, the heat starting where his hand touched mind and spreading like wild fire, my nausea was replaced with butterflies; my heart still beat frantically, but that was the way it always was around Jim nowadays. He smiled at me and I stepped cautiously into the boat.

"Well, now! Look at ya, Tabby! Facin' yer fears finally! Who'd 'ave guessed that all it took was gettin' ya a boyfriend," Silver said, obviously trying to antagonize us.

Normally, I would have blushed or at least made some kind of sarcastic comment at this statement, but I was still feeling light headed, whether from the boat or Jim's touch I didn't know. Jim continued to hold my hand and watch me to make sure I was going to be okay. Silver must have noticed neither of us denied his comment, because I heard him chuckle and when I finally looked over at him, he was smiling smugly. I sat down between both of them, still holding – well, actually, squeezing would be a more appropriate term – Jim's hand.

"Umm, Tabby? I don't mind if you hold my hand, but I'd like to still be able to use it after this," he joked.

"Right, sorry," I said, but didn't loosen my grip.

He looked over at me. "I'm not going to let you fall."

_It's a little too late for that. I think I'm already falling. _I eased up a little and released the breath I was holding.

"You ready?" He smiled excitedly. I closed my eyes, breathed in deeply one last time, and nodded. His smile immediately changed to something more mischievous as he began to frantically push buttons and flip switches.

"Jim? Jim what are you doing?! Jim you prom – AHH!" The boat shot off at lightening speed. I clenched every muscle in my body and closed my eyes tightly. I buried my face in Jim's shoulder and hugged his arm as tightly as I could. I squeezed his hand as hard as possible just to spite him for doing this to me. He twisted the boat through elaborate spirals, up and down, left and right, until I was so disoriented that I could no longer tell when we were upside down or right side up. I just continued to hold on for dear life.

After what felt like forever but was probably closer to a couple of minutes, I felt the boat shift to a slower speed, and _finally_ come to a halt. Silver and Jim were both laughing as if they'd have there time of their lives, but I kept my face hidden and didn't release my grip on Jim's arm.

"Tabitha? Come on, it's over now," Jim nudged my forehead with his shoulder, still laughing. I refused to move.

"Come on, Tabby," Silver said gently shoving me from the other side.

"Is it really over?"

"Yes." They both laughed as I cautiously opened my eyes and relaxed my grip on Jim.

I slapped Jim's shoulder as hard as I could. "James Pleiades Hawkins! You lied to me!" I turned away and crossed my arms. Jim rubbed his shoulder looking startled. Then he saw the smile that was threatening to break out across my face.

"You know you had fun! Admit it!" he said leaning in closer to me.

"No. I will not admit that," I said turning around so that I was face to face. We stared each other down, both trying not to be the first to laugh.

"Well in that case…" he started after a second, "I guess we'll just have to do it again." He began quickly pushing on the buttons again.

"NO! Don't! Okay," I said as I slapped his hands away from the controls. "I admit it. It was fun. Really, I had fun! Now let's go back."

"Well, if ya had so much fun, why don't we let 'im do it again?" Silver suddenly suggested.

"Great idea, Silver," Jim replied. I turned and glared at Silver, but he just threw his hands up as if to say "I'm not a part of this, it was just an idea." I heard the whirring of the engines start up as he turned the boat around to face the ship.

"Jim! You dirty, rotten, liar!" I shouted, hitting him again. He laughed and propelled us forward as fast as he could.

It was different this time, though. I still kept one arm entwined tightly with Jim's, but my eyes stayed open, and I felt more relaxed. The feeling was exhilarating and calming at the same time. The wind blowing through my hair and across my face felt wonderful. We flew so fast that the stars and galaxies around us turned into one massive blur of light and color. It reminded me of how Jim had described solar surfing, and I could see why he loved it. He was right – it made you feel free. I laughed out loud and Jim turned to me smiling. My eyes locked on his. I couldn't look away_..._

**--Jim's POV—**

I wouldn't look away. _Have her eyes always been that shade of blue? _They were incredible, a bright blue-gray, like the color of clouds just before it rained. I was captivated, and she appeared to be too. Neither of us looked like we had any intent to break of our gaze.

"JIMBO!" Silver suddenly shouted above the rush of the air around us. We both turned around to see the ship that had been in the distance seconds before was now nearing us very, very quickly. I thought fast though and quickly flicked a few switches and pulled on the brake and we jolted to a halt a bit closer than comfort to the ship.

We didn't move, we didn't speak, I'm not even sure we breathed. It hadn't been _that_ close, but it had been close enough to startle us. Tabby broke the silence as the first to laugh. Me and Silver both turned to her, surprised by her sudden outburst, but we looked at each other and then both of us laughed too. I didn't have a clue what we were laughing about, only that it was the only thing to do in that situation. When it finally died down, Silver took over the controls and guided us back the rest of the way.

"Well you handled that better than I expected," I teased Tabitha.

"Well I might have been a little more prepared if you hadn't _lied_ to me!"

"Well, a' least ya didn't faint this time, Tabby," Silver said.

"You mean like she did when you two met?" I laughed.

"No, I mean' when she did the las' time I brough' 'er on one of t'ese. I'd forgotten 'ow she did when we met, too!"

I turned to her, half surprised and half amused. "Geez, how often do you faint, Tabitha?"

"Oh, all the time," she said as she flung the back of her hand to her forehead over-dramatically and "fainted". She looked back up at me. "It was only those two times. It's not a common occurrence."

I laughed, and reached down to help her up. "Well I wouldn't have been surprised if it was. After all, Tabitha, you are a _girl_," I brought up the stereotype that had offended her the first day we met but made it obvious that I was only kidding.

She took my hand to pull herself up with. "And you, _James_, are a very deceptive boy. You tricked me!"

"Because I knew you'd enjoy it if you just gave it a chance! And I was right, wasn't I?" I smirked and crossed my arms.

"I refuse to answer questions asked by liars." She sat down on a bench and crossed her arms, either in defiance or to mock me.

"Fine. Silver, will you please ask _Miss Alexander_," I emphasized sarcastically, "If she enjoyed the ride."

Something that looked like guilt flickered over his face, or at least I thought it had, but whatever it was disappeared as quickly as it had show up.

"Alrigh', Tabby, are ya glad Jim made ya get on the boat, even though he 'ad to lie to ya to do it?"

She uncrossed her arms and looked at me. "Yes, I am. Thank you for making me face my fears, Mister Hawkins."

"My pleasure, Miss Alexander."

"Could the two o' ya stop the flirtin' fer a secon'? I still need yer help." Silver grinned.

I blushed. I suspect that Tabitha did too, but I didn't see because Morph chose that as an opportune moment to come zooming towards her from who knows where.

_Flirting? Was I really just flirting? No, that wasn't flirting, that was just… natural. I was just messing with her, trying to get her to laugh. I wasn't even making an attempt, so... that couldn't have been flirting, could it?_

I grabbed the ropes on my side of the boat and Silver did the same on his. We pulled unison until we fell out of sync and the boat tipped drastically.

"Oh, you having a little trouble there?" I asked as the tilt caused me to slide towards him.

"Oh, get away from me!" He laughed and shoved me back towards my side as he righted the boat. "An' thanks too fer all yer help, lass."

Tabitha had been staring at us, but apparently hadn't been paying attention to the conversation. "Hmm? Oh, right, your welcome." She looked at us with amusement and contemplation before turning around to play with Morph.

"Jimbo, if I could maneuver a skiff like that when I's your age, they'd be bowin' in the the streets when I walked by today," he said as he finished tying down the ropes on his side of the boat and struck a pose feigning regalness before falling back with a grunt. "Bowin' in the streets!" Morph mocked his movements.

"I don't know…they weren't exactly singing my praises when I left home," I said as I secured my side too. I sat down and took a deep breath. "But I'm going to change all that."

Silver tickled Morph. "Are ya now? How so?"

Tabitha looked up at me curiously too.

"Uh…I've got some plans, going to make people see me a little different," I said leaning back on my crossed arms and closing my eyes. I couldn't very well tell them about Treasure Planet. No one was supposed to know. And besides that, Silver was a cyborg, just like the one Bones warned me to stay away from, and Tabitha was pretty close to Silver... even if I deemed them trustworthy enough, I had promised not to tell anyone.

"Oh…sometimes plans go astray," Silver brought the conversation down to a more serious level. I had the feeling he was hinting at something, but I didn't have a clue what, so I let it go.

"Not this time." I was confident – this was all going to work out. I was going to set things right.

The sound of metal against wood made me reopen my eyes. Silver was trying to adjust a bolt on his cyborg leg. Morphe whimpered when he noticed Silver was having trouble and changed into a wrench to help. "Oh, thank ya, Morphy."

Curiosity got the best of me, as usual, and I had to ask. I sensed this was probably a touchy subject though, so I addressed it tentatively.

"So, uh… how'd that happen, anyway?"

Tabitha sat up straighter and turned to look at him too. Apparently she was just as clueless as I was.

Silver looked down at his metallic hand in a forlorn sort of way. "Ya give up a few t'ings…chasin a dream." He stretched his fingers out, then balled them back into a fist.

"Was it worth it?" I asked at the same time Tabitha did. We looked at each other, our expressions both a little shocked, wondering why the other was asking.

Silver looked surprised too, but then chuckled and sat down between the two of us. "I'm hopin' it is, kids. I most surely am." He wrapped his arms around both of us and we all leaned back to enjoy the peace and quiet away from work while we could.

A large crash that caused the ship to swing drastically to the side abruptly ended our contentedness.

* * *

**Supernova chapter will be posted soon!  
I'm just working out a some details!  
Keep commenting, I love 'em!**

**-Emily**


	7. Fear, Worry, Confusion

**Supernova Chapter!**

**  
Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**--Jim's POV-- **

Our break had lasted only a fraction of a second before there was a large whoosh and the entire ship shifted violently to the side, sending us all flying. Morph was thrown against a pole and broke into many tiny blobs, before forming back into a solid mass trembling with fear. The three of us ended up in the floor. Silver was the first one up and out. I stayed to help Tabitha and then the two of us followed quickly at his heels.  
"What the devil?" Silver asked flabbergasted as we reached the deck.

"Good heavens! The star Pellusa…it's gone SUPERNOVA!" screamed Doc.

"Evasive action, Mr. Turnbuckle!" Captain Amelia yelled.

"Aye, Cap'n!" Turnbuckle yelled as he swung the ship in the opposite direction.

"All hands fasten your lifelines!" Arrow yelled above all the other racket.

The three of us raced to secure ourselves along with the rest of the crew. Above us, several flaming meteorites ripped through the solar sails and I felt the ship lose a little of its power.

"Mr. Arrow! Secure those sails!" Amelia ordered.  
"Secure all sails! Bring 'em down, men!" Arrow repeated back to everyone.

Tabitha and I started to climb up, but Silver pulled her down. "No, Tabitha. Yer stayin' here."

"But – "

"You're not goin' up there! Stay here and be car'ful." He took her place and the two of us continued. I glanced back at Tabitha once to see her staring up at us, her face panic stricken. I tried to smile to reassure her that everything was going to be fine, but I couldn't bring myself to; I was just as scared on the inside as she looked on the outside. I felt bad that all she could do was stand by helplessly and watch everyone else, but I couldn't say that I disagreed with Silver's decision – I wanted her to be safe too.

**--Tabitha's POV-- **

I felt useless and scared. All I could do was stand by and stare at them while they risked their lives to save everyone else. I crossed my fingers for luck as I watched them. _Please, please be careful. I need you, both of you._ They were just about done, when a piece of debris hit Silver, knocking him off the rigging.

"SILVER!" Jim and I both screamed, but Jim ran over and grabbed his line and miraculously managed to pull him back up. I stopped holding my breath, but I knew we weren't in the clear yet. The huge mass of burning rock, was getting close, too close. Every member of the crew had turned to stare at it, paralyzed in frightened awe. Suddenly, it was pulled backwards, away from the ship, as the crew let out a collective sigh and rushed back to their various jobs.

"Captain! The star!" Onus shouted from the crow's nest.

"Good heavens! It's devolving into a … a black hole!" the Doctor gasped.

"We're bein' pulled in!" Mr. Turnbuckle called from the helm as he tried with all his might to keep the wheel from turning before the pull became to strong for him and he slipped.

"Oh, no you don't!" Amelia said grabbing it and keeping it from spinning out of control.

_This is it. This is how I'm going to die._

Despite Captain Amelia's valiant efforts to manage the boat, we were being pulled closer by the second. Jim and Silver had returned to the deck with Morph, who soon flew and took safety under Silver's hat.

I started to ask Silver if he was okay, but he answered me before I'd hardly even opened my mouth. "I'm fine, lass."

Then a wave of hot air toppled the ship throwing all of us on the floor. I groaned as my back hit the railing of the stairs and I slunk to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked concerned as he pulled me back to my feet.

"Fine. Are you?" He nodded.

"Blast these waves! There so deucedly erratic!" the Captain shouted again as she continued to try to control the ship.

"No, Captain! There not erratic at all!" Doctor Doppler shouted back as he observed the navigational equipment. "They'll be one more in precisely 47.2 seconds, followed by the biggest magilla of them all!"

"Of course! Brilliant doctor! We'll ride that last magilla out of here!"

"All sails secured, Captain," Arrow said.

"Good man! Now, release them immediately!"

Arrow hesitated at the captains contradictory commands. "…Aye, Captain. You heard her men! Unfurl those sails!"

"What?!"

"But we just finished – "

"Tying 'em down!"

"Make up your bloomin' minds!"

The crew responded in annoyance, but followed through on the orders, this time including Mr. Arrow. Jim started up again to, but was halted by Amelia.

"Mr. Hawkins! Make sure all lifelines are secured good and tight!"

"Aye-Aye, Captain!" he said as he ran to tighten them.

I turned my attention back to the rest of the crew working on the sails; I just had a feeling something was going to happen. It was like witnessing a wreck - you didn't want to see it, but you had to keep watching.

"Lifelines secured, Captain!" I heard Jim shout.

Another wave hit us and Arrow fell, but his lifeline pulled taut. _Jim finished just in time…_

Arrow grabbed the rope and began to pull himself up. Scroop headed over to help him.

"Captain! The last wave! Here it comes!" Doctor Doppler shouted.

I ran to Jim. There was so much I wanted to say, to ask, but not nearly enough time. _What do you say when you're about to die? _I opened my mouth, but for the second time, I didn't have to say a word. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I pressed my face against his chest, taking deep breaths and consequently breathing in his scent. He leaned his mouth close to my ear and said just loud enough for me to hear, "We'll be fine. I promise."

If anyone could convince me of that, it was Jim.

"Hold on to your lifelines, gents, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" Amelia shouted from the wheel.

Morph transformed into a tiny rope and tied himself down. Silver pushed me and Jim against the mast and shielded us. I felt both of them reach around to secure me. I held on as tight as possible.

Then everything went eerily dark and silent. I was half convinced that I was dead, that I must be dying, but then I felt Jim's hand grasp mine. I squeezed it once and he squeezed back to let me know he was still here.

A huge explosion burst from the darkness, lighting our sails with enough power to allow us to make our escape. Once we had traveled what was deemed a safe distance, I felt them relax behind me. I heard the rest of the crew was hollering excitedly, happy to be alive. Morph melted into a puddle with a sigh of relief before turning back into his animated self and flying over to Silver.

_Wow. We actually made it._

I relaxed too and turned to look at Jim.

"We're alive." It was the first complete sentence I'd said since we got on deck. It was short, but it was all that needed to be said. Jim and I laughed the simplicity of it. It had taken me a moment or two, but I realized we were still holding hands. He must have noticed then too because we looked up at each other at virtually the same time. I tried to fake indifference to the situation, but I honestly would have been fine if he never let go. I'd let him make the decision, if we wanted to stop, I wouldn't object, but I wasn't going to volunteer.  
Apparently we were on the same page. He didn't let go, but instead laced his fingers through mine and tightened our grasp. For the second time that night, I feared my life was about to end, this time because I was sure my heart had stopped. He smiled at me and pulled me towards the group that had gathered around the Captain. We stood by Silver who, upon noticing our linked hands, looked at us a bewildered, but decided to leave the moment as it was and turned back around.

"Well, I must congratulate you Mr. Silver. It seems your cabin boy did a bang up job with those lifelines." Amelia said. Silver nudged Jim with his elbow, and Jim shoved him back.

"All hands accounted for: Mr. Arrow?" Captain called. We all looked around expectantly, but he wasn't there to step forward.

"Mr. Arrow?" she questioned again. Scroop walked solemnly to the front of the group and presented Arrow's hat to Amelia.

"I'm afraid Mr. Arrow has been lost," the Captain looked at him startled and heartbroken.

_What?! Mr. Arrow? But he - _

"His lifeline was not secure," he finished and glanced towards Jim. I let go of Jim as my hand flew to my mouth to cover a gasp.

_No! He was okay! I saw him…_

Amelia sadly turned to face him; his eyes widened as everyone stared at him in shock.

"No, I checked them all!" Pushing crew members out of the way, he rushed over to the posts, and sure enough, one lifeline wasn't tied."I-I did. I checked them all…they were secure. I swear!"

Something wasn't right. Even Morph flew around looking puzzled.

_Why can't the rest of the crew see how wrong this is? They can't actually think that Jim would… _

I couldn't finish my thought. It was too unbearable. It could _not_ be true.

"Mr. Arrow was a…" Captain Amelia paused to clear her throat. Hats went off and everyone lowered their heads mournfully. "…a fine spacer, finer than most of us... could ever hope to be. But he knew the risks, as do we all. Resume your posts – we carry on," she finished and turned to head back to her state room.

I looked back just in time to see Jim run away.

"Jim – " I called after him as I took a step in the direction he had run.

"Let him go, lass." Silver said sternly.

"But he didn't do it!" I turned around shocked. _He can't believe this…_

"Tabby, I don' wanna believe it either, but – "

"No! You don't understand. I saw when Mr. Arrow fell. He was fine! His lifeline _was_ secure!"

Most of the crew turned to stare at me including Captain Amelia. "What?" she asked in disbelief.

"I saw him. When he fell, his lifeline held." Everyone looked at me like they had looked at Jim. "It did! He started to climb back up and then I saw Scroop head over -"

I stopped. _Did he -_

"…to help him…I thought." I finished quietly.

"She'sss right, I did go to help him, but when I got to him hisss lifeline had already ssslipped. There wasss nothing I could do." He explained without missing a beat. Everyone turned back to me to hear my rebuttal. I shook my head. I didn't know what to think. None of this was right. Silver finally spoke for me.

"Tabby, we understand how ya feel about the lad but – "

"This has nothing to do with how I _feel_! There's no way that Jim would kill Mr. Arrow!"

"I have to agree with her, you know," Dr. Doppler stepped up. "I've known Jim for nearly his entire life, and I know he can be troublesome, but never in a million years would I suspect him of murder." He tried to appeal to Amelia.

Everyone stayed silent for a minute, waiting on a conclusion. Amelia was apparently at her wit's end.

"I don't know exactly what's going on here," she said staring harshly at every crew member. "But I will be keeping a closer eye on all of you from now on and should I suspect any of you of any devious actions, so help me, I will personally make sure that you never so much as set foot onto a ship again." She stared longer and harder at both me and Scroop. "Now, resume your posts _immediately_!"  
Everyone moved away. Scroop's look turned into more of a glare and I stepped backwards out of fear. Silver stared him down with his cyborg eye and Scroop left too.

"Why don't you believe me?" I looked up at him. He sighed and bent down to my level.

"I want to, Tabitha, ya knows I do, but… look a' the evidence. Jim was in charge o' securin' the lifelines and Mr. Arrow's wasn't. We're not sayin' he did it on purpose, maybe he was just distracted and got a li'l careless - " Silver started, but I interrupted again.

"You know how meticulous Jim is! There is no way that he just skipped over it! Something else must have happened! He must have been framed! It's _Jim_ we're talking about here! He wouldn't… you know him."

"Do I know 'im? We've only been on this ship a couple o' weeks, maybe we…" he sighed again, louder and longer this time, and took my hand. "Remember in the galley? When I told ya not to let yer heart run away with ya cause I's afraid ya'd get hurt? This is what I's talkin' about. Sometimes… ya think ya know a person, and then somethin' happens that ya never expected out o' them. People are hard to learn, Tabitha. Maybe we jus' didn't know Jim long enough to -"

"I don't care if I haven't known him that long! I know enough about him to know that this was not an accident and he's not a murderer! He's…he wouldn't…"

But I couldn't say anything else. My breath caught in my throat.

"Tabby – " he said sympathetically, grabbing my arm.

"No!" I pushed his hand away angrily and ran.

* * *

Yay! Well, er, yay for the story being up, Aww for this whole chapter. :(

I'm still working on the next part of the story. I know where I'm going with it, but I keep changing it.  
I think I've redone it 7 times now.  
*sigh* I'll have it up as soon as I'm satisfied!

For now, leave comments to keep me entertained :)  
-Emily


	8. Three Tears for Optimism

**Ugh, finally!  
I don't even know how many times I re-wrote this.****This is so different from what I originally planned, but I kept coming up with new and better ideas, so it kept changing...  
But anyway, it's up now! And it's really long this time - about twice as long as the others.  
There was just really no good place to break this one up.  
You've got a lot to read, which means you should have a lot to comment on, too!  
**

**Enjoy!  
-Emily**

* * *

**--Jim's POV—**

I wound and unwound a spare piece of rope around my hand, trying to create a distraction, even a minor one.

I had been sitting up here in the shrouds for hours, and all I had been able to do was replay the scene in my head a thousand times over.

_I had started to climb up to untie the sails, Amelia had stopped me and told me to secure the lifelines, I had jumped down and tightened all of them…_ all except one.

I remembered pulling on them all. I did, but I didn't. Maybe I just _wanted_ to remember. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all I'm good at is ruining things. Maybe I was just distracted, or careless, or stupid. Maybe I am responsible for Arrow's death…

I heard the familiar mechanical footsteps behind me and saw Silver lean up against the edge of the ship out of the corner of my eye.

"It weren't yer fault, ya know."

I sighed heavily. I hated it when people lied just to make you feel better.

"Why, half the crew'd be spinnin' in that black abyss if not fer –"

I angrily threw the rope as far as I could from the ship. I was not in the mood for a phony pep talk. I knew it was my fault, it was _always_ my fault.

"Look, don't you get it?!" I shouted as I jumped down to the deck to face him. "I screwed up! I mean, for two seconds, I thought maybe I could do something _right_, but…ugh! I just…" I turned around so I wasn't facing him, leaned against a post and stared at the ground. _Don't do it. Do NOT do it. You will not cry. Not here, not now, not in front of Silver. _I sighed and pushed my bangs out of my face. "Just forget it… forget it."

I prayed he would take the not so subtle hint and leave, but he did the complete opposite.

"Now you listen to me, _James Hawkins_," he emphasized, pulling my shoulder and turning me around. I looked up reluctantly. "Ya got the makin's o' greatness in ya, but ya gotta take the helm and chart yer own course, stick to it, no matter the squalls, and when the time comes ya get the chance to really test the cut o' yer sails an' show what yer made of, well, I hope I'm there, catchin' some o' the light comin' off ya that day."

I knew my eyes had filled to the brim with tears. I tried to breathe normally, but my breaths were starting to come out more as sobs.

_Do. Not. Cry._

Silver looked down at me as I tried to hold back, but I couldn't. I tilted my head down to hide the tears. Instinctively, but tentatively, I leaned against him for support. I felt him tense up at first, but he eased up when he realized how upset I was.

"There lad, that's all righ' Jimbo. It's all righ'..." he said, patting me on the back reassuringly and even wrapping me in a quick but comforting hug.

I felt scared and vulnerable, but reassured and encouraged all at the same time. I was not used to this, this kind of attention; sure, my mom hugged me on occasion, but that was different. And I'd definitely never cried in front of anyone, especially not someone I looked up to like I did Silver. He was the only thing that came even remotely close to a father that I had ever really had, but I knew he didn't think of me as a son, so his compassion came as a surprise.

After a minute, I managed to slow the sobs, and realized that this was still probably a peculiar situation for him. He noticed I had calmed down, and pushed me back gently.

"Ahem, now, Jim. I, um…" he adjusted his hat nervously. "I best be gettin' back to me watch, an' you best be gettin' some shut eye."

He pushed me towards the steps. I was still kind of upset, but he had definitely helped. If nothing else, I knew now that he cared for me, at least a little. I turned around, and gave a small smile to say thank you. He returned it and gave a small half-wave before I turned and headed down stairs.

**--Tabby's POV—**

I snapped awake suddenly. I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep. I was drenched in sweat from the dream, or nightmare, I had been having. It hadn't actually been a dream, more like a continuous series of disjointed images. Jim, Arrow, Silver, the supernova, my parents – everything that gave me grief or distress. I woke up with that same feeling that I had when I went to sleep, that tightness in my chest, like my lungs were being compressed, and my heart racing in alarm. I should have been used to this by now. The same thing happened every time I was upset, but I still didn't know how to fix it, how to make it the panic stop, how to handle my emotions in a normal way. I tried to concentrate on telling myself that I was fine, just keep breathing, everything is fine, but my brain drifted to the same thoughts I had every time this happened.

_Why can't I just cry?! It shouldn't be this hard. Crying should be natural; I should be able to do it. If it doesn't come on its own, I should be able to force myself to do it. Plus, I'm a girl! I thought girls were supposed to be really emotional. Most of them can cry at the drop of a hat. Why do I have to go into shock every single time something happens to me? I'm sick of it! These panic attacks feel awful. When they're over, I don't feel better. If anything, I feel worse. People always seem so relieved after they cry. Isn't that why people cry when they're hurt or under stress or something? Because it provides relief, it lets you let out all your feelings without having to say a word. When you cry, people just know what to do because they know what you're going through. I want to feel that. If just want to let it all out... But no, I can't cry about _anything_, not stress or sadness or discomfort or worry or even death. It's like I have no breaking point. What is wrong with me? Babies cry, adults cry, everyone cries! Everyone except me can cry._

I sighed. It was hopeless. I should just accept that.

I pulled the pocket watch necklace out from underneath my shirt and looked at it to try to guilt myself into crying. I figured that maybe, if I thought about enough upsetting things at once, I would break down. I'd tried this before, and just like the other times, it didn't work and I just ended up feeling stupid. I placed it back under my shirt and looked around my makeshift alcove, finding patterns in the woodwork on the wall and watching the sheet sway slightly from the draft. It was then that I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and someone sniffling, as if they had been crying. There was only one person on this ship with reason to cry – Jim. I started to say something, to ask if he was okay, but I hesitated. If there was one thing I knew after spending an entire life around men, it was how weird they could be about emotions. He probably didn't want me to know, or point it out if I did. But I really wanted to talk to him about what had happened and see if was handling it okay, which, by the sound of things, he wasn't.

"Jim?" I questioned softly, pulling the curtain away from my bed.

"Oh, hey," he said as he used the sleeve of his jacket to try and discretely wipe away his tears.

"Are you okay?" _No, of course he isn't okay, stupid. If he was, he wouldn't be crying._

"Yeah…Yeah, I'm fine." He sat down in his hammock, but didn't lie down yet.

I rolled out of bed and approached him. He put his head in his hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, still worried that I was pressing my luck.

"Silver already talked to me." He said bluntly.

"Oh. You still look pretty upset." He didn't respond. I walked forward a little more, but stopped a couple of feet in front of him. "Jim…"

It was an invitation – say what you need to say. I envied him and his ability to cry and express how he was feeling, and I didn't want him to feel like he had to restrict himself. I knew how awful it felt to not be able to, and there was no reason for him to feel that way too.

He finally looked up, and sure enough he was crying. Not sobbing, just tearing up. I looked at him concerned, and he sighed heavily.

"Sorry. I'm sorry – "He got up and started to leave.

"No, Jim wait." I grabbed his hand and he stopped. "What's wrong? You can talk to me."

"I just…" he looked up at me, then back down.

"Jim, don't be embarrassed."

He stared at me for a second, still reluctant, so I took matters into my own hands. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and he immediately leaned his head against my shoulder and returned the embrace. After a few shaky breaths accompanied by more tears, he pulled back.

"Thanks," he laughed a little uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. Geez, talk about role reversal…"

I laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it. My father… he was the same way. He would never show how he really felt. I didn't want that to be you, too. I was so young and I didn't really know what to do about it then, but now it's kind of obvious when someone just needs to be comforted."

"Well, thanks for not being weird about it. I normally don't do stuff like that that... but, you know how it is, when you just break down and then you can't really stop..."

I looked away. "No, actually I don't." I mumbled.

"What?"

I refused to look up. _Why did I have to say that?_ "I don't. I... nothing."

"It's not nothing. What are you talking about?"

I didn't know what to say, or where to begin, or what he would think.

"Nothing. Forget it. I don't want you to think badly of me – "

"I won't. I promise."

"Promise like you did when you said you wouldn't go fast in the longboat?"

He laughed and I managed a small smile. "No, really promise."

I don't know what possessed me to tell him, but I did. "I don't – no... I-I can't cry." He looked up at me puzzled, but I continued. "I just… can't. No matter how sad or angry or worried or scared I get, I can't. I haven't been able to since my mom died. I feel bad, I feel like I'm going to cry, but then I just end up having a panic-attack thing and my chest hurts and my heart starts beating really fast and stuff, but that's it." I sighed. "So I'm kind of jealous of you, of anyone who can. I'm… just a bad person or – "

"Wait, wait, stop right there. You are _not_ a bad person. Everyone handles things differently. When…when my dad left, my mom cried a lot, but it was years before I did at all. There's nothing wrong with you." I looked up at him. "And I still think you're a great person."

I smiled, feeling relieved. "Thank you. I'd never really though about it that way."

"It was the least I could do. So… are you going back to bed?"

"I'm actually not tired. Sleeping wasn't really working out for me."

"Do you want to come with me? I was going to get something to eat since we never had dinner."

I nodded, suddenly realizing how hungry I was. He was right, I'd completely forgotten to eat dinner, and I'd skipped lunch too. I hadn't eaten since breakfast. We snuck over to the galley, but froze at the bottom of the stairs. The room had been completely wrecked by the supernova. The tables had been overturned, all the cabinets stood open, and stacks of crates and barrels had fallen, a layer of pots and pans covering the fruits that had spilled from them, squishing them and causing them to leave a sticky residue on everything.

"Silver's going to flip when he sees this," I said as I took in the damage.

Jim sighed. "Well," he said as he picked a purp up off the floor and rubbed it on his shirt before biting into it. "We'd better get started."

I nodded in agreement. My stomach growled in protest, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't even get to the food right now. Jim had started on picking up the crates and barrels and sorting the still edible fruit back into them, so I began picking up the kitchen ware. Jim was working faster than me, but my job was a little more tedious. Silver was very organized when it came to his kitchen, which meant that everything had to go back to exactly the right place. I had finished one half of the cabinets when I turned to see that Jim had already sorted all the fruit and was now stacking the very last crate with the others.

"You're finished?"

"Yeah, with this, but I'm going to help you next." He places the last box on the stack with the others, but the splintered wood caught on a loose thread, tearing a hole in his shirt.

He sighed in aggravation, then looked up at me uncertainly.

"Tabitha, could you maybe...?"

"Don't know how to sew?"

He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "No."

I rolled my eyes. "Take it off. I'll go get the sewing kit."

**--Jim's POV—**

I obeyed as she ran up the stairs. I went back to work, considering that I was probably going to have to do more now since she was going to be repairing my clothes. I started picking things up and stacking them on the counter to get them out of the way. I stopped when I lifted a pot and found a book underneath it.

_What's a book doing in here? _I thumbed back and forth through the pages a few times, but stopped suddenly. I had seen my name, I was sure of it. I flipped back and there it was. I started reading. _Whatever it is, it's about me, so I have the right to find out what it says. _

Certain phrases caught my eye.

"_Handsome…something about him…glad he's here…a million different feelings…he makes me feel different from anything I've felt before…"_

That's when I stopped. This was a diary. Not only that, this was _Tabitha's_ diary. I had read her diary.

_I had read her diary._

She was going to kill me. No, she liked me! She felt the same way about me that I did about her. A confusing debate played out in my head between joy and guilt over reading it.

_**Now you know that she likes you!**_

_She won't anymore once she finds out _how_ you know!_

_**But you like her too! You have to tell her!**_

_But you can't, because then she'll know you read it!_

_**But it will all work out because you share the same feelings!**_

_It will never work out because she won't trust you!_

_**Yes, it will.**_

_No, it won't._

_**It will too –**_

"Okay, I've got the thread and – " My inner dialogue was interrupted by Tabitha coming back. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me holding her diary. "What…w-what are you reading?" She asked in alarm.

Oh. No.

**--Tabby's POV—**

Oh. No.

Two thoughts struck me at exactly the same time when I arrived back in the galley.

One: Jim was shirtless again. That alone was heart-stopping.  
Two: As if that wasn't disconcerting enough, he was holding my diary.

In all the confusion over the last few hours, I had completely forgotten it was down here! I had never come back to get it, and now he had found it. And read it, judging by the fact that it was open. He stood up and turned around to face me. I put the sewing supplies on the table.

"Give it to me." I demanded as I held out my hand. He didn't move. He just kept staring at me looking completely bewildered, so I stepped forward to take it from him. He reflexively jerked it away.

"Why?" He asked simply.

Damn it. I couldn't say it was mine because then he would know that whatever he had read had been written by me, but determining what he had already read, he might already know it was mine. There was no good answer for this, so I just made another grab for it. Again, he snatched it out of my reach.

"Is this yours?"

I could feel the heat rising to my face, but I refused to address the issue. "Jim, just give it to – "

"Just answer the question and I will."

"No! You're not at liberty to – "

"I'm at liberty to do what I want. I have something that you're after, so you do what I say."

I stared at him in horror. I couldn't figure out if he was joking or if he was serious. He was keeping a straight face, but his voice suggested he was kidding.

"Give it to me."

"Answer the question."

"Yes! Fine, it's mine. Now give it back." I answered impatiently and held out my hand again.

He smiled smugly. "So that means that you…" he flipped through the pages, searching for something. " think I am 'handsome' and… 'intriguing'?"

I opened my mouth in alarm and I felt my face grow red. I rushed forward to grab it, but again he jerked it up and out of my reach. I jumped for it, but my feet slipped on the sticky fruit juice and slid out from under me. I started to fall and instinctively I reached out to grab the closest thing, which happened to be Jim's arm, which meant he fell too, knocking over a stack of pans in the process and causing them to crash loudly to the floor. He landed on top of me, and I stared at him in total shock as the reverberation of the clanging metal echoed through the room.

_This could not be any more awkward._

Jim, the boy I liked, had read my diary, found out that I liked him, and was now laying on top of me, without a shirt, still wearing that same smug smile.

"You like me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

_Okay, I lied. It could be more awkward. _

I was completely frozen. I didn't know what to do or say… I was terrified of what he was thinking, begging to never find out, but at the same time I was ecstatic to know that he knew, praying that he would return my feelings. My decision wavered back and forth, varying on whether I concentrated on the fact that he had read my diary or that he his extremely good-looking body was now lying very, very close to me.

"What the devil – " a voice shouted as it came down the stairs, causing both Jim and me to turn our heads. "Oh." It was Silver.

…_It could be a LOT more awkward._

One look at Jim, shirtless, lying on top of me, and it was easy to derive what he had assumed.

"Am I interruptin' something'?" He leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms with a smirk.

I managed to regain the ability to think coherently and pushed Jim off me so that we were both in sitting positions. I blushed furiously.

"Not really." Jim answered casually.

"Oh. Well, I heard a crash…but I guess I know wha' made it now."

"We fell down," I intervened.

"Ya fell down?" Silver looked us over skeptically. I nodded enthusiastically, maybe too enthusiastically. He looked back to Jim. "On top o' Tabby?"

"Well, see, I fell and then I accidentally pulled him down on top of me, so… that's what happened…" I trailed off. I heard Jim snicker and I turned to glare at him.

"Hmm. An' uh, wha' happened to yer shirt there, Jimbo?"

"I tore a hole in it. She's fixing it for me." _How is he managing to be so calm about this?!_

"Uh-huh," Silver continued to stare amusedly at both of us. "Well… I'll jus' be getting back to my watch. Thanks fer cleanin' up down here fer me... You kids be car'ful. Try not to _fall_ anymore." He winked with a grin and I heard him chuckle as he headed back up the stairs.

I lowered my head in embarrassment. Heaven knows that no matter how many times I explain to Silver what had happened, he was still going to tease me.

"So do you?" Jim said.

"Do I what?"

"Do you like me?" He was still smiling, but it wasn't so much smug as it was amused.

I closed my eyes. This was really not how I had wanted this to be, but now there was really not much I could do. I decided that now there was definitely a good chance it couldn't be any more weird than it already was, so I'd just take a chance and tell him. I took a deep breath.

"Yes... I like you, Jim." My heart beat rapidly against my chest and I looked away. I couldn't face him now. There were a million things that could be running through his mind…

We both sat there in silence for a minute. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to know. Please, let's just forget it." I stood up to leave, but he followed me.

"Wait!" He headed me off at the stairs and blocked my path, but I refused to look at him. "You really like me?" He asked in wonderment.

"Yes. We've established that," I responded, annoyed by his teasing. I tried to walk past him, but he put his arm against the wall to stop me.

"This isn't some kind of joke?"

I could have said "Yes." I could have ended it all right then, but I didn't want to. It was kind of a relief for him to know, even though he didn't feel the same way.

"No," I answered quietly, hanging my head in shame.

"Well, in that case…" he lifted my chin up so that I was facing him…

And kissed me. My heart skipped a beat. Or five. It was amazing. It was soft, but passionate too. I breathed in his scent; he smelled like a guy, like sweat and soap, but also like spices, which made for an intoxicating combination. I could taste the purp that he had eaten earlier, and realized that maybe they weren't actually so bad after all. In essence, everything about it was breathtaking. It was short, and sweet, and perfect.

He pulled away after a second and smiled. He seemed to be pretty much composed. I, on the other hand, felt like I had just been electrocuted. I stared up at him with huge eyes and my mouth still open a little.

"Wh-what…?" I stuttered in amazement.

"I like you too, Tabitha. I thought you realized."

I was still working on registering the kiss and couldn't focus on this new dialogue.

"You're not going to faint again are you?" he asked have joking, half serious.

I didn't faint, but I did do something else, something that caught me completely off guard.

I started to cry.

I looked back down to try to hide it, but Jim caught on.

"Whoa, hey, hey. What...what did I do?" he asked, finally sounding nervous. He wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Was the kiss really that bad?"

I laughed. "No Jim, I think... I think it was really that _good_." He looked at me confused and I rambled off an explanation."All those times when I've tried to cry, I was unhappy - something bad was happening. But now... I'm just really happy and... I guess what I'm trying to say is... that was the best thing that ever happened to me and it just sort of pushed me over the edge or... oh, I don't know... I was just going about it the wrong way. I should have been focusing on the good, not the bad. I was being a pessimist instead of an optimist. I was trying to find the lowest point of my life, when really I needed to find the highest. I guess maybe that doesn't really make sense... but I think that's what happened."

"So you're saying my kiss was the high point of your life?" he smirked again, glad that I wasn't upset with him.

I hit his shoulder. "_Yes_. Now could you please be serious for a minute?"

"I'm sorry, it's just... a lot to take in," he breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

"You're telling me! This is... wow." I sniffled a few more times and he pulled me into a hug.

"Did you honestly not know I liked you?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

"No, I didn't," I pulled back and wiped the last few tears away. "I mean, there were a few things that made me think maybe… did you honestly not know that _I_ liked _you_?"

"W-well I thought you might, but I thought if you did, you would just tell me, and I figured that since you hadn't told me, you had probably figured out that I liked you, but didn't want to say anything because you didn't feel the same way..."

"That's what I thought, too."

We stared at each other for a second and then laughed nervously.

"Are you as new to this as I am?" he asked, rubbing his neck.

"That depends. How new to this are you?"

"W-well that... that was my first kiss." He blushed.

"Then yes. It was mine too."

We smiled at each other and he took my hand and pulled me back in the kitchen. "Come on. Let's finish up in here."

We didn't talk after that, because there was nothing that needed to be said. The kiss had said it all. We worked in silence; I sewed and he cleaned the rest of the kitchen. We finished at nearly the same time and I tossed him his shirt. He pulled it on and grabbed my hand as we started to leave.

"Hey wait a second, we never actually ate. That was why we came over here in the first place," he remembered.

"Oh yeah. I'm... actually not that hungry anymore." Butterflies had taken over my stomach and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to focus on eating right now. There were too many other things to think about. "Are you?"

"No, I'm not," he shrugged. I wondered if it was for the same reason I wasn't.

We turned and headed back over to bed. At the bottom of the stairs, he leaned closer to me.

"Good night," he whispered over the sound of our fellow crew mates' snoring.

"Good night."

He kissed my forehead and turned to his bed. I went to mine and pulled the curtain closed around me. I pushed the pillow over my face to conceal my ridiculous smile and contain the squeal of joy that was threatening to escape.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, but it was hard to know when since now reality was better than any dream.

* * *

**Told you it was long.  
I think this was my favorite chapter yet, though.  
I hope you liked it too!**

**Please leave comments and remember to check out the art that garrenn did at www . garrenn . deviantart . com (just take out the spaces).  
She's got some really amazing work and the picture she did for this story is wonderful!**

**Thank you!  
I'll be posting more soon!**

**-Emily**

**Oh yeah! And happy belated "Talk Like a Pirate" Day!  
Arrgh!  
**


	9. If Music be the Food of Love

**Sorry it took me a little longer to post this chapter.  
I had a more trouble than I originally thought I would with this and I've had a lot going on with school and stuff...  
But here it is!**

**Also, I got tired of doing the POV's, so this is chapter is narrated.  
I'll probably go back to POV's in one of the next chapters, though.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Tabitha slept better than she ever had before. Her sleep was deep and peaceful, no insomnia or nightmares or tossing and turning as usual.

She rolled out of bed in the morning and stretched as she observed her appearance in the mirror. She looked well rested for the first time in a long time and she was still sporting the ridiculous grin from the events of the previous nights. Instead of pulling her hair up she ran her fingers through it to emphasize the natural waves and left it down so that it framed her face, giving her a softer, more feminine appearance. She adjusted her shirt and, once satisfied with her appearance, headed out.

She immediately spotted Jim standing at the fo'c'sle and headed over to him. He turned around when he heard her footsteps.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Jim smiled. "I was beginning to think you'd never wake up."

"Really? Why?"

"You slept forever. It's almost lunch time."

"What?! It is!? Why didn't someone wake me up!? Silver's going to - " the worry rose in her voice.

"Relax - he gave us the day off."

"Oh," she ended. She walked over to the edge to stand by him and looked out at the vast universe that surrounded them. After a minute, she noticed Jim hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"What?" she asked suspiciously.

"You look really pretty today." The remark caught her off guard, and she blushed. "I mean, you look pretty every day… but today you look especially beautiful."

"Thank you," she responded quietly as she bit her lip to hide her broadening smile. "So…what have you been doing with your free time today?"

"Umm… well I slept in too… and then I sat in the shrouds for a little while, and then I came to stand over here, and then you woke up. It's been pretty exciting," he added sarcastically.

"Sounds like it."

Jim sighed. "I wish I could have brought my guitar."

"You play guitar?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, wh -"

"Wait right here!"

He started to protest, but she was already gone. She returned moments later carrying a guitar.

"Whoa, who's is that?" Jim asked excitedly.

"It's mine. Silver got it for me for my birthday last year, but I'm not very good at it."

Jim strummed the chords and winced. "That's may be because it's really out of tune."

"Oh," Tabitha blushed as Jim adjusted it to sound right.

"Here you go. Play something," he tried to hand it back to her.

"No, you go first. I'm really not that good."

"Fine." He started a song, but stopped suddenly and looked back up at her. "I haven't been able to practice in a while since my guitar was destroyed, so it may not sound that good – "

"Just play the song, Jim." She rolled her eyes.

He sighed, but began.

_**I am a question to the world,  
**__**Not an answer to be heard  
****Or a moment that's held in your arms.  
And what do you think you'd ever say?  
****I won't listen anyway.****You don't know me  
And I'll never be what you want me to be.**_

_**And what do you think you'd understand?  
****I'm a boy, no, I'm a man -  
You can't take me and throw me away.  
And how can you learn what's never shown?****  
Yeah, you stand here on your own.  
They don't know me**_

_**Cause I'm not here…  
And I want moment to be real,  
Want to touch things I don't feel,  
Want to hold on and feel I belong  
And how can the world want me to change?****  
They're the ones that stay the same.  
They don't know me  
Cause I'm not here.**_

_**And you see the things they never see  
All you wanted, I could be.  
Now you know me and I'm not afraid.  
And I want to tell you who I am.  
Can you help me be a man?  
They can't break me as long as I know who I am…**_

_**And I want a moment to be real,  
Want to touch things I don't feel  
Want to hold on and feel I belong.  
And how can the world want me to change?  
They're the one's that stay the same.****  
They can't see me,  
But I'm still here.**_

_**They can't tell me who to be  
Cause I'm not what they see.  
Yeah the world is still sleeping  
While I keep on dreaming for me  
And their words are just whispers and lies  
That I'll never believe…**_

_**And I want a moment to be real,  
Want to touch things I don't feel,  
Want to hold on and feel I belong.  
And how can they say I never change?  
They're the ones that stay the same.****  
I'm the one now  
Cause I'm still here.**_

_**I'm the one  
Cause I'm still here.****  
I'm still here.  
I'm still here.  
I'm still here…**_

They sat in silence for a minute as Tabitha stared at him in awe.

"Told you I wouldn't be that good…" Jim sighed handing the guitar back to her.

"Are you crazy? Jim, that was _really_ good! Where did you learn to play?" she asked still staring at him in wonder.

"Really? Oh, thanks. I, um, taught myself actually. My mom got me one when I was about 10 because she thought it would be an outlet for my emotional stress or something … and because she was afraid I was going to break my neck on my solar surfer." They laughed just as they heard the call for lunch.

They headed down and served themselves food, the whole time laughing and talking amongst themselves, completely unaware of the crew, especially Silver, observing the new closer level of their relationship. The rest of the crew promptly finished their meals and went back to work, but Jim and Tabitha took their time. Even after they finished, they stayed in the galley, playing with Morph and allowing Silver to eavesdrop on their conversation. Several hours later, after Silver had finished all the clean up duties, they were still talking as animatedly as ever.

"Thanks again fer cleanin' up down here fer me las' nigh'," he said at a break in their conversation.

"You would have just made us do it today, anyway," Tabitha kid.

"Yeah, guess yer right," Silver laughed. "Well it must not 'ave been too bad. Both o' ya were smilin' bigger than I seen ya the whole trip when ya headed to bed..."

Tabitha and Jim exchanged sideways glances, but said nothing.

Silver noted the silence, then watched as Tabitha took a sip of her drink. "Tabby, is that purp juice yer drinkin?"

She peered down in the cup, then back up at him. "Yeah."

"That's the secon' time this trip! What's gotten into ya, lass? Ya've always said ya hated purps!"

"I guess I just… acquired a taste for them," she looked suggestively at Jim and took another sip to emphasize her point. Jim happened to choose the same moment to lift his own cup to his lips.

"Ya kissed, didn't ya?" Silver asked matter-of-factly.

The two teenagers nearly choked on their drinks. Silver laughed as they coughed and sputtered in unison.

"Well, tha' answers tha'!" he stacked the last few dishes and headed up to the deck, leaving the two infatuated teenagers alone.

"How does he always know everything?" Jim asked in wonderment.

"Cause ya do a terrible job o' hidin' it!" Silver called from the top of the staircase.

"He's got a point," Tabitha giggled. "Come on, we've only got a few more hours in our day off. What should we do?"

"How about nothing?" He propped his feet up in a chair and reclined.

"Sounds perfect." She did the same next to him.

They were silent for a minute until Jim spoke up again.

"Hey Tabitha?" He said as he turned to look at her.

"Hmm?"

"Last night…" he started. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. "Were you…okay with that?"

She sat up straighter. "Could you be a little more specific?"

"Well… I guess I'm just wondering where we stand… relationship wise. I didn't realize it until today, but a whole lot happened last night, and I don't want you to be uncomfortable with anything..." She continued to stare at him with a puzzled expression. He sighed and began. "Umm… okay first of all, I'm really, _really_ sorry about reading your diary. I saw my name in it and just assumed that that gave me permission to read it, which was really stupid of me, but I stopped as soon as I realized it was yours, and I never would have read it if I had known from the beginning. I don't want you to think I'm not trustworthy. Then when I kissed you…" he ran his fingers through his hair, "I was so nervous and… I acted impulsively and I thought maybe you weren't as ready as I thought you were and maybe that's why you were crying and what you said about it being because you were happy was just a cover up and maybe you actually were mad at me and – "

She put a finger to his lips to silence him. He stopped abruptly and stared at her. She leaned in suddenly and kissed him. It was just as good as their first one, but in different ways. This one was surer, more determined. It was still gentle and sweet, but was now accompanied by a fervor that soon brought the kiss to a new level of excitement. It lasted much longer than the one last night had, but neither of them could break away. They were both lost in the moment; Tabitha was drawn in by his scent, which only fueled her desire to keep the kiss going as long as possible. Jim was captivated by the softness of her skin and lips, and was just as determined to see that nothing trivial would interrupt this moment.

They finally separated and breathed in deep breaths of air. He stared at her, completely stupefied.

"Well I had to stop you from freaking out somehow! You were starting to ramble," she invented an excuse as a blush rose to her cheeks.

"If that's how you're going to handle it, I'm going to start rambling more often." He grinned smugly at her. "So I guess I was worrying too much?"

"_Way _ too much. First of all, thank you for apologizing about the diary, but I still trust you, and I think you'll agree when I say it all worked out for the better?" He nodded. "Okay. And when you kissed me..." she looked away from him again. "Jim, I'd been waiting for you to do that since the night you showed me the stars."

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"Yes! How did you not realize that I liked you? I really thought that it was obvious…"

"Well, I thought you did, but I thought you would just tell me if you did…you didn't realize that I liked you?"

"I wasn't sure, either." They laughed at how naive they were. She sighed and continued, "As far as the whole crying thing goes… I don't know what to say. _I'm_ not even sure what happened. I just know that... well, not to sound melodramatic, but my life hasn't exactly been filled with joy. Don't get me wrong, I love my life, everything that's happened has made me who I am… but that kiss – it easily topped every other happy moment of my life combined. It was by far the most intense thing I have ever felt, and I think that it was just strong enough to tip the scales finally. It was…" she struggled to find words.

"Indescribable?" Jim suggested.

"I guess so," she laughed. "Anyways, what I'm trying to say is… everything that happened last night was perfect, and I'm so glad that you were the one who made it that way." He blushed, and she continued. "I have a question for you too - how did you manage to stay so calm last night?"

"What?" he asked surprised.

"You were so calm about everything! When Silver came down, I know nothing was happening, but you know as well as I do what Silver was assuming, but you were completely relaxed. And then when you kissed me... I just don't understand how you could keep it together like you did."

"Tabitha, I wasn't calm _at all_. When Silver came down... actually, that was just funny. You're facial expression and the way you tried to explain things to him were priceless," he laughed at her. She hit his shoulder, but he continued. "But when I kissed you... I was worried that _I_ might faint. I've never been so scared about anything in my entire life."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't notice my hands shaking or anything."

"I think I was a little distracted by the fact that I was having to remind myself to keep breathing."

He laughed and grabbed her hand hands and intertwined their fingers together. "Tabitha… I know we've only know each other a few weeks, but I really like you. A lot." He leaned his forehead against and locked eye contact with her. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. If we don't find Treasure Planet, it won't even matter. You're worth more to me now than everything there combined."

He smiled but she pulled back and looked at him startled. "What did you say?"

Jim was confused. He was trying to be romantic. Was he really that bad at it? "You're worth more to me than – "

"No, not that. Before that – did you say Treasure Planet?"

Jim's eyes widened and he smacked a hand to his forehead. "Oh no..." he groaned.

"That's where we're going?! Tre – " she shouted eagerly, but Jim covered her mouth with his hand.

"Shh! You're not supposed to know. No one's supposed to know except me, Doc, and the Captain. It just slipped out… you're too easy to talk to."

"I didn't ask you to tell me! Butl…now that I know, can you tell me more?" she was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

Jim relented. "Fine. But you can't tell anyone. Understand? Doc would kill me if he knew I told even you."

"I won't. I promise! So we're going to… there. Why? How? What?"

In hushed whispers, he explained the whole story to her. By the time he got done, her eyes had almost doubled in size and her mouth was hanging open. Immediately upon his finishing, she jumped in with questions.

"Your mom's inn burned down?"

"Yeah. That's part of the reason my mom agreed to let me go on this trip - we can use the treasure to rebuild the Benboe."

"Is that how your guitar got destroyed?"

"Yeah."

"How did you know how to open the map?"

"I didn't, it just happened. I was just twisting it and pressing the buttons, and then suddenly there was a map."

She saved the one she was most concerned about for last.

"You said that Bones told you to 'beware the cyborg', right?" she questioned warily.

"Yeah…" This wasn't going to be good.

"Do you think he meant… Silver?"

Jim looked up at her, unsure how to answer. He was sure that Silver must have been who Bones was talking about; it was inconceivable to consider his being here a coincidence. But on the other hand, Silver had been so nice to both him and Tabitha that it was distressing to think of him as a bad guy. Jim had gained a lot from Silver's advice and tough love.

He looked up at Tabitha and saw how frightened she looked.

"I really hope not, but…" he didn't need to finish, she knew. "I'm sorry, Tabitha." She nodded, then lowered her head and stared at her lap. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. He hoped it was providing some kind of comfort, though he knew that her relationship with Silver was going to be different now.

* * *

That night at dinner, things weren't nearly as bad as Jim had anticipated. Tabitha handled the new information well; her persona hardly changed at all. The only difference Jim noticed was that her eyes appeared a little sadder, but maybe he just imagined that because he knew what was going on.

Everyone had finished eating and had gathered around to converse together and listen to the stories that Silver always told, but tonight he changed it up a little.

"I've told ya all every story I got! Let someone else do the after dinner entertainin' tonight!" The crew complained and begged, but Silver refused.  
"Tabitha, why don't ya sing us somethin'!" Silver suggested merrily. She blanched.

"You sing?" Jim asked.

"Yeah," she started timidly. "That's why Silver got me the guitar – he noticed I walked around humming all the time."

"I've noticed that too," he observed her as she nervously rubbed her hands together. "Well, what are you waiting for? Sing something!"

"No, I'd rather not. I'm not very good – "

"Not very good? Why, Tabby here's got one o' the best voices this side o' the Coral Galaxy! Go on, lass!"

She stammered to come up with an excuse, but her voice failed her.

"Come on, Tabitha. I'm sure you'll be great," Jim tried to nudge her forward a little.

Suddenly, a thought struck Tabitha and she grinned a little mischievously. "Fine. I'll sing _if_ Jim agrees to accompany me on the guitar."

Now it was Jim's turn to hesitate. He'd never enjoyed performing in front of people. He had enough trouble playing it cool with one person; a group just increased his anxiety by the tenfold.

"No! I'm not going to play just because - "

"Well then I'm not going to sing," Tabitha crossed her arms stubbornly.

Jim scowled. If there was something Jim would never do, it was turn down a challenge. As much as he didn't want to do it, he knew Tabitha was more nervous than he was, and he wasn't about to let her off the hook that easy. He picked up the guitar and strummed a few notes. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Are you going to sing or what?" he asked tauntingly.

She glowered at him, but he challenged her fortitude with a coy smile and she finally relented.

There were a few moments of mumbling between two of them to make sure they were on the same page music wise, and then Tabitha began to sing.

_**Stars shining bright above you  
Night breezes seem to whisper I love you  
Birds singing in the sycamore tree  
Dream a little dream of me.  
**_

_**Say nighty-night and kiss me  
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me  
While I'm alone and blue as can be  
Dream a little dream of me.  
**_

_**Stars fading but I linger on dear  
Still craving your kiss****  
I'm longing to linger 'til dawn dear  
Just saying this:**_

_**Sweet dreams 'till sunbeams find you  
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you  
But in your dreams, whatever they be,  
Dream a little dream of me.**_

_**Stars fading but I linger on dear  
Still craving your kiss  
****I'm longing to linger 'till dawn dear  
Just saying this:**_

_**Sweet dreams 'till sunbeams find you  
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you  
But in your dreams whatever they be  
Dream a little dream of me…**_

She ended the note and two of them received a standing ovation. Jim welcomed the praise, but Tabitha leaned her head down and tried to hide her bashfulness behind her hair.

"Sing another one!"

"Yeah, sing somethin' else."

"Oh, no, really, I – " she stammered at their appreciation.

"Come on, let's do one more," Jim nudged her with his elbow.

"Okay…" she melted at the smile he cast her way.

_**Just a day, Just an ordinary day  
Just trying to get by.****  
Just a boy, Just an ordinary boy  
But he was looking to the sky**_

_**And as he asked if I would come along  
I started to realize****  
That everyday he finds just what he's looking for  
Like a shooting star, he shines  
And he said**_

_**Take my hand  
Live while you can****  
Don't you see your dreams  
Lie right in the palm of your hand?**_

_**And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words  
Though they did not feel****  
For I felt what I had not felt before  
And you'd swear those words could heal**_

_**And as I looked up into those eyes  
His vision borrows mine  
And I know he's no stranger  
For I feel I've held him for all of time  
And he said**_

_**Take my hand  
Live while you can  
Don't you see your dreams  
Lie right in the palm of your hand?**_

_**Please come with me  
See what I see  
Touch the stars for time will not flee  
Time will not flee  
Can't you see?**_

_**Just a dream, Just an ordinary dream  
As I wake in bed  
****And the boy, that ordinary boy  
Or was it all in my head?**_

_**Did he ask if I would come along?  
It all seemed so real  
But as I looked to the door I saw that boy  
Standing there with a deal  
And he said**_

_**Take my hand  
Live while you can****  
Don't you see all your dreams  
Lie right in the palm of your hand?  
In the palm of your hand  
In the palm of your hand**_

_**Just a day, just an ordinary day  
Just trying to get by  
Just a boy, just an ordinary boy  
But he was looking to the sky…**_

The applause was just as strong, if not stronger, than the first time. She and Jim bowed, and passed the guitar off for someone else to entertain.

"You were amazing!" Jim said as someone else started to play.

"I was?" she asked and he nodded. "Oh... thank you. You weren't half bad yourself."

They sat on a bench, but soon Tabitha had closed her eyes and leaned against Jim's. He wrapped his arm around her and she quickly dozed off to the gentle sound of the guitar paired with the crew's raucous laughter…

* * *

"Tabby? Tabby, wake up," Silver said gently.

She sat up with a groan, then started to fall over and lay back down.

"Oh, no ya don't. Yer not sleepin' in the kitchen, get to bed," Silver pulled her up off of the bench. She swayed slightly from exhaustion, then closed her eyes and leaned on to him. Silver ruffled her hair and motioned to Jim for him to come take over. He handed her off to Jim and she opened her eyes at the exchange.

"Come on, it's late," he explained softly.

"Carry me?" she whispered.

He smiled and picked her up bridal style and she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned her head against his chest, and closed her eyes again.

"G'night, lass," Silver said as they left.

"Mhm," she mumbled in return. Jim rolled his eyes and spoke for both of them. "Good night, Silver."

"Why've you been so tired today?" Jim questioned as he carried her across the deck to the crew's quarters.

"I don't know… a lot," she broke off to yawn, "has happened since we first set sail. It's kind of… exhausting."

"Tell me about it," Jim joked. She gave a small laugh in return as he laid her in bed.

"Thank you…" she whispered through another yawn.

"Your welcome. Good night, Tabitha," Jim pulled the blankets up over her, and she was asleep.

Jim grinned and pulled the sheet around her bed closed.

* * *

While Tabitha dreamed of a charming, ordinary boy, Jim dreamed a little dream of the girl he was surely falling for.

* * *

**What can I say? It's a filler chapter.  
We're getting back to the movie's storyline in the next chapter.  
I changed my mind at least a dozen times about whether to post this.  
****It didn't turn out the way I originally wanted it to,  
but then I decided to go ahead and put it up because I spent so much time on it.  
So I hope that you guys like it at least a little!**

**Also, expect more drama.  
This is getting a little too lovey-dovey for me.**

**As always, comment! They inspire me and I really appreciate them.  
-Emily**


	10. Sudden Immediate Danger

**The climactic part!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jim was rudely awakened by what was quite possibly the worst bunkmate in the Etherium. He swatted at the creature and clumsily flipped his hammock.

"Ugh…" he groaned as he raised himself of the floor and pulled on his shoe. He was exhausted. Sleeping in the day before had kept him awake most of the night. He reached for his second shoe, only to have it hop away from him.

"Morph – " he sighed, rubbing his face to help wake up. He followed the boot across the room. "Morph, knock it off. It's too early for this," Jim said irritated as he peered around the chest it was now hiding behind. The "boot" sneaked up behind him and kicked him in the butt. "Ow! Hey, Morph!"

"What's all the yelling?" Tabitha mumbled as she sat up and pulled the curtain away from her bed.

"Morph's got my boot!" Jim whined. The "boot" blew a raspberry at Jim and transformed back into its normal pink blob state. Giggling, it grabbed the real boot from the spot it had hidden it and zoomed away.

"Hey! Come back here!" Jim shouted.

"Come back here!" Morph mocked. Then he managed to smack Tabitha in the head with the boot as he flew around the room.

"Ow, Morph! Cut it out!" Tabitha complained as she started to pull her own shoes on, now intent on catching the mischievous blob herself.

"Cut it out! Cut it out!" Morph mocked as he refused quit.

Jim continued to chase him as he weaved under and around the hammocks of fellow crew members. Tabitha watched the entertainment until Morph flew up to the deck, with Jim close behind, and the chase continued there. Tabitha got up to follow, but at a much more leisurely pace – it was too early to run.

"…just don't understand why we can't do it now."

Tabitha heard the whisper as she stepped onto deck. Looking around, she saw several crew members standing on the fo'c'sle.

"Our orders are to wait. He knows what he's doin'. Just stick to the plans," another voice whispered. Tabitha scooted closer to hear better, keeping her head below the edge to assure that they couldn't see her.

"Who caressss what the plansss are? Thingsss need to be done sssooon." Scroop's voice drew Tabitha even closer. She hid herself behind some barrels, leaving her just enough room to see what was going on.

"What's the hurry? We can't do anything until we get to Treasure Planet anyway!" So some of the crew knew they were going to Treasure Planet too… that didn't sound good.

"Of courssse we can. We jusssst get the otherssss out of the way early."

"Fine. We'll talk to him about it." Tabitha listened as their footsteps drifted away.

Fear struck her. She couldn't be sure of what was going on, but none of the options that came to her mind were good…

She raced down to the galley and found Jim peering into one of the barrels.

"Busted!" Jim laughed as he discovered Morph's hiding spot.

"Jim!" He turned to face her and immediately noticed the panic on her face.

"What? What is it?" He rushed over to her.

"It's the crew. Something's going on. They know – " she stopped at the sound of approaching footsteps. "Hide!" She squealed and ran to hide in a chest on the other side of the room.

"What?" Jim asked her, still confused about what was going on.

"Just do it! Now!"

Jim didn't argue with the uneasiness in her voice. He jumped into the purp barrel that Morph had been hiding in and peered out through a hole in the side. Tabitha had been right, the crew was up to something; several of them were now gathered here, talking in hushed voices, and none of them looked happy.

"All we're sayin' is we're sick of all this waiting!"

"There's only four of 'em left!"

"We are wanting to move!"

"We don't move 'till we got the treasure in hand!"

Jim froze as he recognized that voice all too well – Silver. He had known that this was coming, he had known since the first day, but it still hit him as a shock.

Tabitha's was heartbroken. The 'him' they had been referring to was Silver. She tried to tell herself not to be surprised, she'd known something like this was going to happen, but she couldn't fight the sinking feeling that overwhelmed her.

"I sssay we kill 'em all now." Scroop suggested menacingly.

"I say what's to say! Disobey my orders again, like that stunt ya pulled wit' Mr. Arrow, and you'll be joinin' 'im!" Silver threw Scroop against the barrel Jim was in. Tabitha watched warily as the barrel rocked precariously before finally stabilizing itself.

"Ssstrong talk, but I know otherwissse…" Scroop said dauntingly as he stuck a claw into the barrel. Tabitha held her breath as he waited for him to discover Jim, but miraculously enough, he raised his claw back out with nothing but a purp.

"Ya got somethin' to say, Scroop?"

"It'sss thossse kidsss," he whispered menacingly. "Methinks you have a sssoft," he punctured a whole into the purp, "ssspot for 'em."

Silver's resolution wavered for a half second, but then he continued, just as severe as before.

"Now mark me, the lot o' ya!" He growled. "I care 'bout one thing and one thing only – Flint's Trove."

Tabitha bit her lip and closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry.

"Ya think I'd risk it all for the sake o' some nose-wiping little whelps?"

Jim shoulders sagged as he took it all in.

"What wasss it now? Oh, 'You got the makin'sss o' greatnesss in ya!'" Scroop said in a mocking, sickly sweet voice. "And we've all ssseen how you treat the girl, like sssshe was your own daughter instead of sssome orphan you sssaved."

Tabitha's released a shuddering breath.

"Shut yer yap!" Silver shouted. "I cozied up to those kids to keep 'em off our scent. But I ain't gone soft!"

"Land ho!"

A cry interrupted the argument. Everyone rushed up to the deck, leaving Tabitha and Jim alone. Slowly they both climbed out of their hiding places and stared blankly at each other. Neither had any idea where to even begin.

"Scroop killed Arrow?" Jim sounded slightly stunned.

"Yeah. I thought you already knew that. You said Silver talked to you that night…"

"He did, but he didn't tell me that… he just gave me that 'makings of greatness' speech," he sighed in frustration and leaned against the table where his hand bumped into Silver's spyglass. They stared at it for a moment, then at each other, then made a mad dash about halfway up the stairs, only be stopped by Silver at the top of them. They froze, not knowing what to expect next.

"Jimbo, Tabby…" he looked around, as if he was checking to see if there were any witnesses, and then stepped down, forcing them back into the kitchen. "Playin' games, are we?"

Jim stepped back, but Tabitha didn't. She was frozen in place, too perplexed and frightened to moved. Jim put his arms in front of her defensively and pushed her behind him.

"Yeah…yeah we're playing games," he said darkly. Jim had backed them against the table. He discretely reached around behind her, feeling around for something…

"Oh, I see. Well, I was never much good at games," the click of mechanics from behind his back could be heard as he changed the attachment on his robotic arm to who knows what, "always hated to lose."

"Hmm…" Jim had grasped onto something on the table, "Me too!" He shouted as he stabbed the makeshift weapon into the cyborg's leg. Tabitha gasped as Silver stumbled back as his leg leaked pressurized air. Jim grabbed her hand and ran across the deck and burst into the captain's cabin, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Mr. Hawkins! What is the meaning of – " Captain Amelia started as she jumped up from her desk, but stopped when she saw how distraught the two teenagers appeared. "What's happened?"

"The crew… mutiny… pirates…" Jim said between breaths. Shouting and banging on the deck soon interpreted his statement.

"Change in plan, lads! We move now!" Silver's orders were hailed by the rest of the crew.

The color had drained from Tabitha's face and she didn't appear to even be breathing.

"Throw up our colors, Mr. Onus!" Silver shouted.

Jim grabbed Tabitha's shoulder in concern and she snapped out of it. By this time, Amelia was out from behind her desk and opening the cabinet that held the map.

"Pirates on my ship? I'll see they all hang!" she stated calmly as she loaded a gun.

Tabitha gasped audibly. Amelia shot her a look of compunction, but quickly got back to business.

"Doctor – familiar with these?" She said, tossing Doppler the gun.

"Oh, I've seen…uh, well I've read – " he was cut off as a laser suddenly shot from it, causing a glass globe on the wall to explode. "Uh, no. No, I'm not."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "How about you, Ms. Alexander?" she asked. Tabitha tried to shake off her confusion and nodded. Amelia tossed her a gun and grabbed the map out of the cabinet. Morph, attracted to the shiny gold object, flew over to it, squeaking in awe.

An odd noise made Jim turn towards the door to see the solid steel of it melting as the crew tried to break in. They were trapped.

"Mr. Hawkins – defend this with your life," Amelia said, tossing the sphere to Jim. Morph took the opportunity to grab it mid air and try to escape.

"Morph! Give me that!" Jim snatched it away and the pink blob whimpered sadly.

Tabitha took a couple of steps back from the door as it got dangerously close to dissolving completely.

"Oh, you're takin' all day about it!" Silver shouted angrily from beyond the door.

Amelia shot a hole into the floor. "This way! Now!"

They all jumped through the whole into the mechanics of the ship. A loud explosion followed shortly behind them. The four raced through a maze of metal, sharply taking turn after turn before finally exiting through a door. Doppler fell, and they turned around to see the crew nearing them quickly. Amelia tossed Doppler out of the way and melded the door with her laser gun.

"To the longboats quickly!" she yelled.

"Come on!" Jim grabbed Tabitha's hand and they jumped into the boat, followed by Dr. Doppler. Amelia pulled the lever to release the hatch and performed a stylish series of intricate flips into the boat, landing gracefully on her feet. The hatch seemed to be taking forever to open as the door was once again being melted by pirates.

Jim took this brief opportunity to talk to Tabitha. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," she said grumpily. She felt stupid. She'd known this would happened – Jim had told her – and yet she still felt hurt and abandoned.

"Just lay low for now. I don't want you to get hurt." He said grabbing her shoulders and pushing her to sit down.

"Lay low?" She said in disbelief. Did he honestly expect her to just sit back and watch?

"Just stay here. I – " he was interrupted by Morph snatching the golden map out of his pocket. "Morph, no!" Jim reached for the blob, but missed. He jumped after him to the edge of the dock.

"Jim!" Tabitha shouted.

The door fell to the floor with a thud as the crew finally managed to break through. The captain shouted insults as she shot at them repeatedly. Dr. Doppler suddenly stood up, fired one shot, and managed to hit a piece of the machinery, which crashed through the wooden dock, and sent the pirates falling through space.

"Did you actually aim for that?" Amelia asked him, stunned.

"You know, actually I did!" They quickly ducked again as Silver fired a couple of shots.

Tabitha looked around confusedly. Silver was closing the hatch, Jim was still chasing after Morph, Amelia and Doppler were protecting the long boat… and what was she doing? Laying low, like a coward. She had to do something.

"Morph! Here! Morph!"

"Morph! Morphy, come here!" Silver whistled to the creature.

Morph wavered back and forth, weighing the options and looking just as confused as Tabitha felt. Morph did the only thing he could think of to do – he didn't choose. He dove into a bundle of rope and allowed Jim and Silver to race for him. Jim got there a split second before Silver and grabbed the map. Silver glared at him, and Jim turned and ran to the longboat. Tabitha saw Silver raise his gun…

"NO!" she shouted. She jumped in front of Silver just as he put his weapon down.

All four of the observers shouted her name in unified shock. "Tabby!"

"What are you – " she asked Silver as she landed in front of him.

"Now!" A shout interrupted. Jim jumped down to the longboat as Amelia and Doppler shot the cables holding it loose.

"Just go, lass!" Silver said worriedly.

"But – "

Silver stopped her with a shove that sent her falling off the edge.

"Tabitha!" Jim shouted in terror.

She screamed, but thankfully hit the longboat hard, but safely.

Amelia released the solar sail and started the boat. "Parameters met, hydraulics engaged…" They shot off quickly.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked her as he tried to pull her up into a sitting position.

"What do you think?" she asked bitterly, shaking off his hands and pulling herself up. She knew it wasn't right to take her anger out on him, but she was a bit overwhelmed at the moment, to say the least.

"Captain! Laser ball at twelve o'clock!" Dr. Doppler shouted in panic.

Amelia pulled harshly on the rudder, but it was too late. The ball hit their sail and the tail end of the boat. It burst into flame and they began their free-fall.

They braced themselves for the inevitable crash. They bounded through the strange foliage of the planet and flipped as they hit the rocky surface.

They skidded to a halt just as Tabitha's world went black.

* * *

**Ooh... bit a of a cliff hanger.  
Good news: I've planned out the rest of the story, so it won't take me long to write.  
Bad news: I have to have free time to write it, and that may be hard to find in the next few days.  
I'll be posting as soon as I can, but I can't say when that will be!**

**Thank you so much for the comments you guys have been leaving!  
Keep it up - they make me happy :]**

**And remember to check out the art for this story at www . garrenn . deviantart . com**

**Thanks everyone!  
-Emily**


	11. An Argument and a Robot

**New Rule: 3+ reviews, and then I post the next chapter.  
**

**I had to balance out the mushiness of the last chapter with some drama.  
**

**Enjoy!  


* * *

**

* * *

"_Carry me, daddy!" The 3 year old reached up to her father._

_"Carry you? Alright," he picked her up and dangled her upside down. "Like this?"_

_"No, daddy!" she laughed. "On your shoulders!"_

_"Oh, on my shoulders," he swung her up onto her shoulders. He grabbed her mother's hand, and they kept walking through the town. She quickly grew bored with the repetitive scenery, so she leaned over and reached into her father's pocket and pulled out his watch.  
_

_"Sam! Melody!_

_Her parents turned towards the voice that had just called them. A tall, muscular man ran up to them. __"Hey! I haven't seen you two since… wow, graduation, I guess. How have you been?"_

_"Wow, yeah, it's nice to see you again," her father said as he shook the man's hand._

_"We've been doing great," her mother said as she hugged the man._

_"Who are you?" Tabitha interrupted inquisitively._

_"Well you must be little Tabitha. I got your birth announcement a few years ago… let me see, how old would you be now?"_

_"I'm three!" Tabitha giggled excitedly._

_"Three? You're seem awfully tall for a three year old."_

_Tabitha giggled and her parents smiled at her…_

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-_

_"Mommy!" Tabitha called as she knocked on the closed door._

_A nurse opened the door a crack, blocking any view of the inside of the room. "You can't come in here." She said sternly._

_"But I need to tell mommy something."_

_"Couldn't she come in for just a moment?" her mother asked quietly from the bed._

_"I'm sorry, Mrs. Alexander, but I really think it's best if your daughter stays as far away as possible," the doctor advised her from the bedside._

_Tabitha looked up innocently at the nurse. "Can I talk to her from here?"_

_The nurse sighed impatiently, but nodded._

_"I read a book all by myself today!" The child shouted happily to her mother._

_"You're teaching her to read? As in… novels? What a useless skill to have. You know they make narrating picture books now with - "  
_

_"It is not useless. Novels are part of an underappreciated and nearly forgotten part of our culture that more people should embrace," her mother snapped at the nurse and turned her attention back to her daughter. "All by yourself? Really?"_

_"Well, daddy helped a little bit…"_

_"What was it called?"_

_"Treasure Planet!" the child called happily._

_"Sounds exciting! Did you enjoy it?"_

_"Yes! It was really good! It was about – "_

_But she had to stop short when her mom broke into a fit of coughing._

_"It's time for Tabitha to go now," the doctor told her mother caringly._

_"That's right. Time to go," the nurse said, practically shoving the child out of the doorway._

_She sighed. This always happened – she never got to tell her mom a whole story._

_"I love you, mommy."_

_"I love you too, sweetheart. I'm glad you enjoyed the book…"  
_

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-  
_  
_Tabitha's father had given her his pocket watch to play with, and she opened and closed it and twisted it around, tracing the patterned engravings. She stood silently by her father as people came up one by one to talk to him. It was the same thing over and over._

_"I'm so sorry…"_

_"Such a tragedy…"_

_"If you need anything…"_

_Most of them looked down sadly at Tabitha before turning to walk away. Finally at a break, Tabitha pulled on her father's hand._

_"Daddy?"_

_"Yes?" he looked down at her._

_"Are you okay? You look like you don't feel good. You don't have what mommy had do you?"_

_At the mention of her mother, her father's breath caught in his throat and his facial expression saddened._

_"No, angel. Daddy's okay." He took a deep shuddering breath and pulled handkerchief from his pocket as his eyes start to tear up. "Charlotte, could you watch Tabitha for a moment?"_

_The child was handed off to some relative she didn't know. She watched her father rush away from her, out of the doors…_

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-_

_Her dad walked in the doors and took off his boots and coat. Tabitha didn't even bother to turn around from the pot of soup she was making as he came and sat down at the table. She served them each a bowl and they ate their meal in silence. It was the makings of a typical night until she started to grab the empty bowls at the end of the meal and his hand reached out and grabbed her wrist._

_"Wait."_

_She looked at him puzzled, but released the bowl and sat back down. He stared at her for a second, but with such a far away look in his eyes that she wasn't even sure he was looking at her._

_"Happy birthday," he said suddenly as he pulled a small brown package out from his pocket. She stared blankly at him, wondering what was going on. Was it really her birthday?_

_"Go on."_

_She took the package hesitantly and slowly opened it. She gasped in shock at the sight of the pocket watch she hadn't seen since her mother's funeral._

_"Dad…" but she didn't know what to say. Why was he giving her this now? They'd never celebrated birthdays before._

_"I remembered how much you liked that. I want you to have it."_

_"Thank you," she whispered quietly. She had no idea why he had chosen to give this to her now, but she was appreciative nonetheless._

_He gave a sad sort of smile before leaving the room. She sat at the table and examined her gift. It didn't run anymore, and it was in desperate need of polishing, but she captivated by it just as much now as she had been as a child. She sat there for a long time, admiring the grooves and decorations the same way she had seven years ago…_

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-_

_She stood the way her father had at her mother's funeral. People came up and addressed her the same way, with the same apologies._

"_We're so sorry..."_

_"So sad…"_

"_Bless your heart…"_

_"You must be devastated."_

_Tabitha nodded sadly. She was upset, she had loved her father very much and even though their relationship had never really been on good terms, she cared about him and missed him very much. But even so, she also felt a strange mixture of relief and excitement. She was on her own now._

_Tabitha was exceptionally mature for her age in every way, shape, and form. Part of it was because she'd taken on the role of an adult at a remarkably young age in order to help her father. The other part of it was she was well beyond her wisdom in knowledge from all the information she had absorbed from books. Tabitha had spent her whole life reading about far off places filled with excitement and thrills and danger and adventure, and she secretly hoped that she would be able to experience the same things, even though she knew she was just going to have to go find work somewhere else. She had to find a way to support herself, but she anticipated the feeling of being independent.  
_

_And even if she hadn't been looking forward to it, it was here and there was nothing she could do about it. None of her family had offered to help her in anyway; they either didn't feel close to her, didn't think it was there responsibility, or didn't care. She had no choice but to go out and chart her own course._

_Charlotte, who she had learned was apparently her second cousin, approached her at the end of the day and handed her something._

_"I guess this is yours."_

_She took the envelope from her hand, read the outside, and opened it tentatively. She read it quickly, and looked up at Charlotte confusedly._

_"What is this?" she asked._

_"I have no idea. We just found it in his closet and it was addressed to you."_

_"Right. Thanks."_

_She read the note over and over, searching for a meaning…_

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-_

_She was lost. She was definitely lost. She wandered around, up and down half-deserted streets, trying to get back to somewhere she recognized, or at least somewhere that didn't broadcast this foreboding feeling of danger. She turned down an alley only to be blocked by an enormous wall at the end of it. She sighed in frustration and turned back around, only to suddenly be stopped by several men._

_"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The one who appeared to be the leader said as he approached her. "What are you doing in this part of town, girly?"_

_She stood up straighter, refusing to be intimidated. "Nothing. I was just leaving." She stepped forward to go past them, but he stuck out an arm to stop her._

_"What's your hurry? You can stay with us. We'll take good care of you - "_

_"No thank you. I can handle it myself," she said sternly._

_"Really? You seem pretty young to be out here on your own..." he looked her over in such a way that it took all of Tabitha's will power not to cringe. "How old are you?"_

_"I don't think that's any of your concern."_

_"She's gotta be at least fifteen, Boss," another member of the group said with a nauseating grin.  
_

_Tabitha set her jaw. She hated being an early bloomer; people constantly assumed she was much older than she was just by looking at her, and the fact that she acted so mentally and emotionally mature for her age didn't help her case at all._

'_Boss' reached out to run his fingers through her hair._

"_Don't touch me." She hit his hand away and tried to walk past them again, but __he reached out and grabbed her hand. She tried to shake him off again, but he overpowered her and forcefully pushed her against the wall, placing his arms on either side of her so she couldn't go anywhere._  
_  
"Oh no you don't. It's not everyday that one so young and… innocent as you are wanders across our path and, well, how could we resist someone so… alluring, shall we say?" he said with an evil smile that sent chills down her spine._

_His cronies stayed in the background, making obscene jokes and laughing at the entire situation. Her breath shuddered as she looked up at him in terror. His eyes seemed to glow from the pale light that shone from the street. The green orbs pierced the darkness, striking fear into her heart._

_"No... please..." she tried to shout, but it came out as nothing more than a distressed whisper._

_"Shh…I'm not going to hurt you…" He ran his hand up the side of her body, lifting her skirt about halfway up her leg in the process. She froze, she couldn't move, this couldn't be happening. "I'll be gentle…"_

_Every muscle in her body tensed as her mind shouted for her to do something – fight, run, scream, something! He pressed himself against her, still running his hands across her._

_"Hey!" A gruff voice from the road suddenly shouted. The man backed off and the rest of his group silenced. "What do ya think yer doin'?"_

"_Just having a little fun. What's it to you?"_

_The man stepped closer, making it clear just how much bigger he was then the guys in the group. The stranger on the road looked from the group, to Tabitha, then back to the group. He started to approach them and they backed away intimidated. He cornered them and in hushed but harsh tones, told them something that Tabitha was too distressed to hear, but was apparently threatening enough to drive them away. 'Boss' started to run too, but the man picked him up by his collar. "Heaven help ya if I ever catch ya doin' somethin' like this again."_

_The man's eyes widened significantly, completely forfeiting his bad-guy persona as he squeaked out an apology. "It won't happen again! Please, just let me go!"_

_The stranger threw the frightened man to the ground. He immediately rebounded and, throwing the man one more fearful glance, ran off after his group._

_Her savior turned to her. "Ya all righ', lass?"_

_Her breathing was fast and heavy. If she was scared before, she was frightened tenfold now. As the man stepped closer to her, she saw that half his body was composed of metal – he was a cyborg._

_"Lass?" he tentatively questioned again._

_Her breath went from being rapid to not being there at all. She felt like someone had knocked the air out of her._

_She couldn't breathe... her sight was blurring... she felt her legs give out... someone grabbed her arm and supported her… everything went black…_

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*__-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-__*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-_

"Tabitha…Tabitha…"

Memories of her life flickered quickly through her mind as she slowly drifted back to consciousness. She had fainted in the alley… no that had been a flashback…

"Tabitha, please wake up… please be alright…"

Someone else was calling her… she should answer; she should say she was okay. But was she okay? Everything hurt – her back, her head, her legs, her arms…

"Tabitha? Tabitha can you hear me? Please be okay. Please – "

It was Jim.

"Is she okay, Doc? What's wrong with her?"

"She's just unconscious, Jim. She'll be awake again soon. Don't worry," the doctor said as he checked her pulse.

She finally managed to groan as she regained her senses.

"Tabitha?" Jim asked hopefully.

"Jim…" she managed to say as she slowly opened her eyes to see him and the doctor peering over her.

Jim wrapped his arms around her excitedly and she cringed as every muscle cried out in protest.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she mumbled crossly.

"Sorry. I was just so worried about you," he apologized as he gently helped her into a sitting position and slowly into a standing position, making sure she would actually be able to support herself.

"My goodness. That was more fun than I ever want to have again," Dr. Doppler said once he was sure Tabitha was alright.

"Not one of my… gossamer landings," the Captain joked light-heartedly as she tried to stand to her feet. She suddenly clutched her side and fell back to her knees.

"Captain!" Dr. Doppler shouted as he rushed to her side. Jim rushed to help her too, but she shook them both off.

"Oh, don't fuss. Slight bruising, that's all. Cup of tea and I'll be right as rain. Now, Mr. Hawkins," she said as she squinted at each of them, trying to figure out which one was Jim. "The map, if you please."

Jim reached into his pocket and pulled it out. It rose into the air and suddenly transformed into a small giggling pink blob. "Morph! Morph, where's the map?!" Jim shouted in panic. Morph reenacted placing the map in the bundle of rope. "Are you serious?! It's back on the ship?!"

Tabitha rubbed her forehead, half out of aggravation and half because she still wasn't feeling all there. Jim snatched the tiny cytoplasm creature out of the air.

"Stifle that blob, and get low," Captain Amelia ordered. "We've got company." Everyone turned their attention to the sky above as the whirring noise of one of the longboats passed overhead. "We need a more defensible position. Mr. Hawkins – " she handed a gun over to him. "Scout ahead."

"Aye captain," Jim nodded as he stuck the gun into the waistband of his pants.

"I'm going too," Tabitha rushed forward with him.

"No, you're staying here."

"I want to come with you."

"No. You're staying here." Jim repeated sternly.

"Excuse me? I don't have to listen to you."

"Well the last time you didn't listen to me, you ended up unconscious, so maybe you should this time."

"Well next time I'll just sit back and let you get shot, okay?"

"He wasn't – " he stopped. He didn't know what Silver was going to do. "Just do what I say."

She gawked at him. "No! I'm going too. There's nothing for me to do here!"

"What you can do here is be safe! I can't focus on protecting you when I'm on the lookout for pirates and – "

"What makes you think I need protecting? I've got a gun, too! I can handle myself."

The two glared at each other. Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler observed them quietly, baffled by their sudden mood swing and unsure of whether they should step in. Jim finally turned to leave without another word, and Tabitha followed after him.

They ventured across the strange planet in silence. Jim never once offered to help her across obstacles they encountered on their trek; not that she needed it, just that normally Jim was extremely gallant about that sort of thing.

"Why are so mad at me?" she finally broke the tense silence.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he turned on her.

"Stubborn? What, because I won't obey your every command?"

"No. Just… I just want to protect you."

"I appreciate that you want be to be safe, Jim, but I don't need protecting."

He rolled his eyes and turned back around.

She stared at him in disbelief. "Jim, I don't know why you suddenly think that I'm weak and defenseless, but I'm not. I can handle myself." He scoffed at her. "What is your problem?" she rushed in front of him and stopped him in his tracks.

"Do you remember the reason why you were just unconscious? If you had just laid low like I told you – "

"Stop trying to tell me what to do! I know why I was knocked unconscious – I had to come save you!"

"I didn't need to be saved, Tabitha! And if I did, you're hardly qualified for that – "

"What?!"

"Name one time when you've managed to get _yourself_ out of trouble." She stopped. She couldn't think of anything. "Exactly. There's always been someone there to save you."

"That doesn't mean I needed it! I didn't ask for help! Just because I _haven't_ saved myself doesn't mean I _couldn't_!"

"Well excuse me for being a little skeptical," he said sarcastically as he walked around her.

"This is about that whole 'I'm a girl' thing, isn't it?" she shouted after him. He kept walking, so she followed. "You've been on that since we met. Jim, I understand that idea about how the girl is always the damsel in distress, and the guy's supposed to rush in on a white horse and save her, but I'm not like that. I'm not some dainty girl who wears dresses and makeup and flirts and talks about the latest fashions with all my girlfriends. I wear pants and fight and play sports. I couldn't care less what's fashionable. I don't even hang out with girls! I've grown up with guys, and I definitely don't flirt with them. I – "

"Your still a girl, Tabitha! And as a guy, it's my responsibility to protect you!"

"No it isn't! And if was, I think I'd prefer to have a guy protecting me who doesn't cry more often than I do!"

She regretted saying it immediately. He had trusted her enough to cry in front of her, and she had thrown it back in his face. It was a low blow, and she didn't mean it. The hurt clearly read on his features, but he quickly turned it into a scowl. He turned to walk away, but was stopped by rustling in the thickets in front of him. He pulled out his gun and stepped closer. Tabitha pulled out hers as well, but lingered behind, keeping her gun trained on the area. He peered over the underbrush where the movement had been coming from, when suddenly a shout erupted from it as a robot tackled Jim to the ground. Jim screamed in return and Tabitha jumped back, startled.

"Oh this is fantastic!" The rusty metal being was in near hysteria. "A carbon-based life form, come to rescue me at last! I just want to hug you and squeeze you and hold you close to me!"

The robot picked Jim off the ground and hugged him tightly. He attempted to pull the creature off, but it was proving difficult. "Alright – okay – would you just let go of me?!"

"Oh, sorry! Sorry, sorry. I-I-I've been marooned, uh, for so long, I mean, solitudes fun don't get me wrong, for heaven's sakes, after a hundred years, you go a little nuts!"

Morph squeaked as he flew around observing the bazaar being. Tabitha stepped closer, still keeping her gun at the ready, unsure of what to make of this creature.

"I'm sorry, uh, I - My name is uh, um… My name is, uh…" the creature struggled.

Morph turned into a miniature of the robot to portray how crazy he was. Tabitha nodded in agreement as Jim shut the blob up.

"B.E.N! Of course! I'm B.E.N! Bio-electronic navigator!" The robot remembered. "And you are?"

"Jim." He stated simply, obviously annoyed.

"Oh! What a pleasure to meet you Jimmy!" He said shaking his hand.

"It's _Jim_."

"Oh," the robot looked over at Tabitha, apparently noticing her for the first time. "And who are you, m'lady?"

"Tabitha…" she said uncertainly.

"Pleasure to meet ya, Tabby!" Tabitha frowned again at the mention of the nickname only Silver used for her. Jim noticed, but turned away from her. She couldn't blame him - It served her right, really. She swallowed her emotions as the robot began to ramble again.

"Anyway – "

"Look, I'm kind of in a hurry, okay? I've got to find a place to hide and there's pirates chasing – "

"Ooh! Pirates!" B.E.N. shouted excitedly. "Don't get me started on pirates!"

"Don't worry. We weren't planning on it..." Tabitha mumbled to herself.

"I don't like them! I remember Captain Flint. This guy had such a temper."

"Wait, what?" Tabitha started.

"You knew Captain Flint?" Jim asked.

"I think he suffered from mood swings, personally – I'm not a therapist – but anyway – " he continued on, oblivious to the questions they had asked. "But I – you'll let me know when I'm rambling?"

"But that means… but wait, but then you've got to know about the treasure!" Jim's eyes lit up and Tabitha leaned in at the intrigue.

"Treasure?"

"Yeah – Flint's Trove? The Loot of a Thousand Worlds?" Jim suggested. Morph turned into a chest of gold to illustrate.

"This is Treasure Planet, isn't it?" Tabitha asked irately. How could this robot live here and not know about the treasure?

"It's, well, i-i-it's all a l-l-little fuzzy…" B.E.N. stuttered. "Wait – I r-r-remember. I do! I – Treasure! Lot's of treasure! Buried in the centroid-centroid-centroid of the mechanism," his voice wavered as his circuits cut in and out. "And there was this big door opening and closing and opening and closing…And Captain Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever get to his treasure so I helped him to – ahh!" The robot winced as his wires became too crossed too continue. "DATA INACCESSIBLE! Reboot! Reboot! Reboot!"

"B.E.N! B.E.N! B.E.N!" Tabitha and Jim took shouted at the creature, trying to jar him from his frantic state. Finally, Jim smacked him across the face, and B.E.N. was calm – well, calmer – once again.

"And you are?" he asked.

Tabitha stared at the creature in disbelief. She was not about to start this whole process over again.

"Wait, wait, wait! What about the treasure?!" Jim shouted.

"I want to say Larry…" the robot continued innocently.

"Th-the centroid of the… mechanism, er…"

"Captain Flint! You helped him do… something…" Tabitha joined Jim in trying to remind the robot.

"I'm sorry, m-m-my memory isn't what it used to be, I-I-I lost my mind. Haha, I've lost my mind!" The creature said maniacally.

Tabitha rolled her eyes again. This was getting them no where. "Yeah, go figure. Never would have guessed that."

"You haven't seen it yet have you? My missing piece? My primary memory circuit?" The robot patted Jim down to search for it. He turned to do the same with Tabitha, but she held up a finger as if to say 'don't even think about touching me'.

"Look, B.E.N., I _really_ need to find a place to hide, okay? So I'm just going to be, uh, you know, moving on," Jim turned to walk away.

"Oh. Uh, so, uh, well then, I guess, uh…this is goodbye, huh? I'm sorry that I'm so… dysfunctional. So, uh, go ahead and, uh, I do understand, I do. Bye-bye…" The robot drooped sadly to the ground.

Tabitha shot Jim a look of disdain, and leaned down to the robot. "Don't worry, B.E.N. You can come with me."

"Oh, you two aren't together?"

Jim turned around to face Tabitha. Tabitha refused to look at him; she lifted the robot to his feet. Jim looked up at Morph, who whimpered sadly, and sighed. "Look, if you're going to come along, you're going to have to stop talking."

"Huzzah!" B.E.N. laughed loudly. "Oh this is fantastic! Me and my best buddies," – he pulled them into a group hug and jumped into Jim's arms – "Out looking for, uh…" He noticed Jim's face. "Being quiet," he whispered.

"And you have to stop touching me!"

"Same here!" Tabitha added as she shrugged his arm off her shoulder.

"Touching and talking – that's my two big no-no's!"

"Okay… now I think that we should head – "

"Say, listen, before we go out on our big search, um, would you mind if we made a quick pit stop at my place?" B.E.N. asked nervously as he pulled back a wall of plants, and Tabitha gasped at the sight of what appeared to be the perfect hide out. "Kind of urgent…"

"B.E.N… I think you just solved my problem!"

"_Our_ problem," Tabitha corrected forcefully, and Jim turned to glare at her again. She walked past him, shoving into his shoulder as she passed to take the position as leader of the group.

"Come on, let's go."

* * *

**Ooh... they had a fight.  
I told you there would be drama.**

**Okay, this doesn't apply directly to the chapter, just the story in general, but I just wanted to say that if you think you're being bombarded with a lot of superfluous information, you're not. Trust me, I know what I'm doing... for the most part. I've got everything mapped out, and it will all make sense in the end.**

**Leave comments so I can post the next chapter! :]  
-Emily**


	12. You're Not Alone

**Thank you for the comments :]**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Uh…pardon the mess. You'd think in 100 years I would have dusted a little more often, but you know when you're batching it, you tend to, uh, let things go," B.E.N. welcomed the group to his 'home'. Dr. Doppler was carrying Amelia, who was apparently hurt worse than she was ever going to admit. Jim and Tabitha followed behind, refusing now to even acknowledge each other's presence. "Aww, isn't that sweet? I find old fashion romance so touching, don't you?"

Tabitha's heart cringed with regret.

Jim sighed in disappointment.

"How about drinks for the happy couples?" B.E.N. turned around offering some sort of black sludgy drink to Amelia and Doppler.

"Oh, uh, ew…uh, no, thank you," Dr. Doppler replied as he grimaced at the drinks. "We don't drink, and we're not a couple." However, their looks suggested otherwise. Tabitha and Jim both suddenly realized the relationship that had been blooming between Dr. Doppler and Amelia. They'd been distracted by their own, but now they noticed how blatantly obvious it was that the two had feelings for each other. Each felt a pang of envy at the connection the two adults now shared; it was hard to believe they had been like that just yesterday…

"How about you?" B.E.N. offered the drinks to Jim and Tabitha, rousing them from their thoughts. They moodily turned away in opposite directions. "Okay…"

Dr. Doppler cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Look at these markings..." he gestured around the chamber. "Their identical to the one's on the map. I suspect these are the hieroglyphic remnants of an ancient culture."

"Mr. Hawkins – " Amelia called. Jim turned his attention away from the walls to her. "Stop anyone who tries to approach. Oh -" She winced in pain again, clutching her side.

"Yes, yes, now listen to me – stop giving orders for a few milliseconds and lie still," Doppler ordered her. He rolled his jacket into a pillow and placed it behind her head.

"Very forceful, Doctor. Go on – say something else," she looked up happily at him. They smiled at each other for a minute.

Tabitha stared at the two; it used to be that the sight would have made her nauseous - she never had enjoyed that sort of mushy stuff - but now she absolutely yearned for that. It felt like a piece of her was missing. She turned and found Jim staring at her anxiously. They gazed at each other, but Tabitha finally had to break it off when she felt the tears start to build up again. She was annoyed that her body would volunteer to cry now, when she wanted it to the least. Jim opened his mouth to say something to her, but a shout from B.E.N. interrupted.

"Hey look! There's some more of your buddies!" He pointed down the hill. "Hey fellas! We're over here, fellas!"

Tabitha and Jim rushed forward and yanked the robot out of the way of the pirates' shots, then opened fire in return.

"Stop waistin' yer fire!" Silver shouted to his comrades. The shooting ceased, and Tabitha and Jim ducked to reload their weapons.

"Hello up there!" he shouted up to them. "Jimbo! Tabby!" they peered carefully over the edge of the wall to see Silver waving a white flag. "If, uh, it's alrigh' wit' the captain, I'd like a short word wit' ya. No tricks, just a little palaver."

"Come to bargain for the map, doubtless. Pestilential – " Amelia grunted in agony.

"Captain…" Dr. Doppler said warningly.

"That means… that he thinks we still have it!" Jim realized. He turned back around to find that Tabitha was had already raced down to Silver

_-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-  
_  
Tabitha met Silver at the half way point of the hill. She stared at him, looking bewildered and hurt, but didn't say a word.

Silver sighed. "Tabby – "

"My name is Tabitha," she said bluntly.

"Alrigh', Tabitha. Lemme explain wha' happened. I – "

"You don't need to explain anything, Silver. Jim told me this would happened. I didn't want to believe him, but he was right. I know what happened. You lied to me. You kept this plan a secret from me the whole time."

"I was plannin' on tellin' ya about the plan, lass. I was gonna ask ya to be a par' of it in fac', but then Jimbo an' ya were - "

"I don't want to be a part of it! It isn't right. Why did you get me involved at all?"

"Look, this plan was set in motion years 'efore I met ya. If I'd 'ave known it would be like this, with ya against me instead o' wit' me, I'd 'ave – "

"You would have what? Throw me off the ship a little harder to get me out of the way completely?"

"I didn' throw ya off, I's tryin' to push ya into the longboat. I knew ya would 'ave wanted to go with Jimbo – "

"How? How did you know that? How do you know that I would have wanted this?"

"Are ya sayin' that if I'd let ya pick, ya would 'ave left Jimbo and stayed wit' me?"

She stopped. No, she wouldn't have… would she? She was one of the good guys, and so was Jim. Jim had a right to this treasure – Billy Bones gave the map to him because he hadn't wanted Silver to have it. Silver was the bad guy – he'd been lying to her since they met, burned down Jim's mother's inn, and mutinied the voyage. But the lines weren't as clear as 'good vs. bad' anymore. Silver had saved her life, taken her in when she was orphaned, gave her a job and a place to live. And she had had that huge fight with Jim too; their relationship had hurt her, just as Silver predicted.

She mentally froze as she realized something.

"Wait a minute... those warnings you gave me about letting my heart get away from me and not knowing people well… those weren't about Jim! You didn't think he was going to hurt me, you knew that you were!"

"I didn't wanna hurt ya, lass."

"But you did! You didn't even bother to warn me. You knew I was going to be hurt and you didn't do a damn thing about it."

"You watch yer mouth - "

"Don't order me around like you're my father! I'm like a daughter to you?" she scoffed. "Well fathers don't lie to their daughters the way you lied to me."

"See here, Tabitha. Ya were never s'posed to be involved, but I took ya in an' tried to protect ya an' had to keep ya in the dark abou' some t'ings. Tha' don't mean I's tryin' to hurt ya. If ya hadn't gotten involved wit' Jim, things would 'ave been different."

She rolled her eyes angrily at him.

"Yer makin' me sorry I ever saved ya in the first place!"

"Then why did you? You didn't have to!"

"Ya ungrateful - " Silver began threateningly, but caught himself. "Did ya want me to leave ya to those men in that alley?"

She shuddered visibly at the very thought of it. Of course she didn't want that. "No."

"Now, look, it's not to late to be a part of me plan. If ya want to – "

"You don't get it do you? How hard are you going to make this for me? You expect me to choose now between you and Jim? How the hell am I supposed to make that decision?!"

"Don't you raise yer voice to me – "

"I'll raise my voice to whomever I want to!"

"Like hell ya will!" He towered over her. She stumbled back a couple of steps. She tried to hide how truly scared she was, but he had never spoken to her in such an authoritarian tone and although she deserved it for antagonizing him, his outburst had floored her.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," Jim said darkly and forcefully as he finally arrived and stepped in between them.

"Jim, stop it! This doesn't concern – " Tabitha started.

"You need to calm down," he ordered rather than suggested.

Tabitha glared at him, then at Silver. "Ugh!" she shouted in frustration and walked a short distance away. She knew Jim was right; she did need to compose herself, but she was too involved to relax. She had loyalties on both sides, she had people she loved that loved her in return (or at least she thought they had until recent developments made her reconsider). How could she possibly calm down? Everything was so complicated and there was no way out, no escape. She was stuck, and she needed to figure out what was going on.

Morph appeared suddenly, completely oblivious to the fight that had just occurred, though no one could deny that the surrounding area was filled with tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. He flew gleefully over to Silver, who tried to diffuse the situation by casting the previous conversation to the side.

"Ah, Morphy! I wondered where ya lit off to!" Silver said affectionately. He sat down with a moan and rubbed his leg. "Ooh…this leg's downright snarky since that game attack we had in the galley," he tried to laugh off, but Jim just stared him down. Silver sighed. "Whatever ya heard back there - at least the part concernin' ya - I didn't mean a word of it. If tha' bloodthirsty lot thought I'd gone soft, they'd 'ave gutted us both!" Jim softened as the confusion hit him too; he wanted to believe Silver, but he knew that he shouldn't. "But listen to me," Silver pulled him closer, "If we play our cards right, we can both walk away from this rich as kings!"

Jim rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah?"

Silver laughed appreciatively and continued the bargaining. "You get me that map, and, uh…an even portion of the treasure is yours!" He held out his hand for Jim to shake.

Jim replaced the contemplative look he had with one of hate. "Boy, you are really something… All that talk of greatness, light coming of my sails? What a joke."

"See here, Jimbo – " Silver stammered to respond.

"I mean, at least you taught me one thing – 'stick to it' – right? Well that's just what I'm going to do. I'm going to make sure you never see one drubloon of _my_ treasure."

"That treasure is owed t' me, by t'under!"

"Well try and find it without my map, 'by t'under'!" Jim yelled.

Tabitha swallowed and took a small step back. She had never expected this to go well, but they were obviously both way more tense than she had realized. She had been frightened when Silver yelled at her, but watching Jim and Silver shout at each other when they were both so on edge was one of the most nerve-racking things she had ever witnessed.

"Oh…ya still don't know how to pick yer fights, do ya boy?" Silver growled. "Now, mark me – either I get tha' map by dawn tomorro', or so help me, I'll use the ships cannons to blast ya all to kingdom come!"

He turned around to leave. "Morph – hop to it," he called over his shoulder. "Now!"

Morph squealed in terror and hid behind Jim. Jim continued to glare at Silver until he turned and left.

Tabitha watched frozen in shock as the person who had saved her, taken care of her, and protected her walk away, and she knew she had to do something. She had to thank him for everything, apologize for what she had said, explain why she couldn't be on his side… she had to do something. Their relationship couldn't end on these terms.

She ran forward a few steps. "Silver!"

But he didn't turn around.

"Silver!" She shouted again. "Silver…" but the last time it was barely a whisper.

She felt lost. She didn't know anything anymore; everything she was sure she understood, thought would never change, expected to always be there for her was all gone. The same feelings that she had in the longboat earlier that trip – not knowing up from down or left from right – engulfed her, but it was a million times worse this way. The ride had had an element of fun to it, but now she just felt sick.

Jim watched her from behind. It was all too familiar to him – her body language, the way she had called his name, the way she still hadn't moved. He felt a pang of remorse about the fight they had had earlier; he should be there comforting her, not watching her suffer alone. After all, they were in the same boat now. Silver had been a father figure to both of them, just in different ways. For Jim, he had been a role model, someone who had helped him up when he was knocked down, someone who had his best interests at heart. For Tabitha, he really had been the only real parent she had known. Jim had at least had a mother his whole life, but Tabitha had lost her mother at a young age. When it was just her and her dad, she'd taken more care of him than he had for her. Silver had proved how much he cared for her from the moment they met, and they weren't even related. If anything, Tabitha was having a harder time with his leaving than Jim was. She must be feeling the same way that Jim had felt when his father left…

"Tabitha…" Jim started empathetically. She turned around, but didn't even look at him. She just headed back up the hill, keeping her eyes focused on the ground as she walked. "Tabitha listen - " he started after her, but she refused to turn around. He was fed up with this aggressive attitude she had suddenly take on; he just wanted to help. "Will you just listen to me? I of all people would actually understand - "

"How? How could you possibly understand Jim? How could you know what this feels like? What I'm going through?" she walked back to him fiercely.

"Because this is the second time this has happened to me, Tabitha!"

"W-what?"

"The same thing happened with my dad."

She closed her mouth in shock. "B-but... I thought you said that your dad just left and never came back...?"

"He did, but..." Jim sighed. "The morning he left, I woke up and he was already walking down to the ship... and then when I raced downstairs, my mom was crying, so I raced after him... but he didn't stop, or turn around, or say goodbye. He just kept walking, and got on the boat and left. Something inside me knew then that was the last time I would ever see him..." Jim looked down, lost in thought. "I found out later I was right; he'd told my mom he wasn't coming back." He looked back up at Tabitha who was standing there with no idea what to do or say. He continued trying to prove his point, "You knew it was going to happen, but when it does, it still hits you harder than you could even imagine. Even when I told you, you didn't want to believe it. You've been trying to convince yourself that it wouldn't happen, that it couldn't happen, that they cared about you enough that they wouldn't do it. If only you had done this differently, if you had said that to them, then things would be different." Tabitha stayed frozen - he was right; that was exactly how this felt. "Right?" he demanded.

Tabitha didn't know what to say. If it was possible, she felt even worse about everything that she'd said.

"Fine, if you're not going to talk to me, I'll see you back at the hideout," Jim huffed as he turned away. He was almost all the way back to the entrance when Tabitha finally managed to speak.

"I'm sorry."

It was so quiet that Jim wasn't even sure she'd said it at first, maybe he'd just imagined it. Then she suddenly sunk to the ground and buried her face in her hands, and he knew that she had.

She felt so stupid. Jim was right - she was stubborn. She always had to make everything more difficult then it needed to be, and it wasn't until now, when she'd lost everybody, thatg she realized how much she needed someone. Silver had done so much for her, and she had just turned him away completely. Jim had been so nice to her, he liked her, or at least he had until she'd started being so mean. Just a little while ago she'd had them both, and now she didn't have anybody. She gave up on trying to hold back the tears; she knew it was a hopeless battle. She covered her face with her hands though to hide it and make sure she didn't actually sob. She could handle tears, but there was no way she was going to let herself break down completely.

Then Tabitha heard someone carefully walk up to her. "Tabitha?" It was Jim. He slowly knelt down in front of her. He grabbed her hands gently and slowly pulled them away from her face. She turned her face to the side, refusing to face him. "Tabitha, look at me..."

Tabitha looked up at Jim. His face was so full of concern and worry. He still cared for her. She'd been terrible to him, and he still liked her.

He was there only a couple of seconds before she let out a sob and practically threw herself against his chest. "I'm sorry."

He was a little shocked; he'd expected there to be more yelling. His anger melted away completely at the sight of her crying, and he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back to comfort her. "I'm sorry, too... I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. This wasn't your fault."

"No - If I had known that about your father, I never would have said that. I'm so sorry," she choked.

"I hadn't told you. I can't get mad at you for something you didn't even know. I just... wanted you to know that I understand what your going through, and that I'm here for you."

"I shouldn't have said what I said about you crying," she continued to sob.

He repositioned himself so he was next to her rather than in front of her and held her tighter. "I shouldn't have been trying to tell you what to do." He sighed regrettably. "My mom always raised me to be a gentleman, a-and I was trying to be chivalrous, but I guess I… went overboard."

She kept her face pressed close to his chest and he felt her tears soak through his shirt. "Tabitha… I've never cared for someone the way I care for you, and... well, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing," he gave a small laugh and even she managed a small smile. "I just wanted to keep you safe and make sure you didn't get hurt. I know you can handle things on your own, but I want you to know that as long as I'm here you don't have to... and I know you're not like other girls, Tabitha – that's one of the reasons I like you so much." She was appreciative of what he was saying, but she couldn't stop. "Please don't cry, Tabitha. It's okay. Everything's going to be alright…"

They sat like that, his arms wrapped around her, her face pressed against him. Jim pressed his face against her hair, and again he picked up that same scent he had the night they laid under the stars together. He still couldn't place it, but it brought that same calming but joyful feeling with it, the way it had in his dreams that night.

She stopped crying, but they didn't move. They had never felt more connected than they did in that moment. Neither wanted it to end; as long as they stayed there, wrapped in that moment, everything was fine.

Eventually she looked up. "Thank you. I really, really am sorry, though. About... everything. I shouldn't have said any of that. It's just Silver... and then...you and I were... I d-don't... and your father? I didn't..." she sighed as she tried to sum up everything that had just happened.

"I know," Jim said reassuringly. "I understand."

"And what I said about you crying? That was really low to throw that back in your face like I did and I feel awful that I said it. Plus, it was a total lie. I like that you cry; I think it's cute." The blush Jim hadn't sported in so long came back full force. "And, well… now you haven't cried more than me anymore, so I guess we're even," she said as she wiped the last few tears off her face. "I see what you mean about breaking down and not being able to stop it now. It is rough."

"Is it worse than not being able to cry at all?"

"Not remotely. At least this way I can cope with it," she said calmly.

He smiled and leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"... and I guess it doesn't hurt that you always kiss me when I cry," she looked down bashfully as the pink rose to her cheeks. No matter how much she claimed she wasn't a typical girl, his kisses would forever make her blush.

"So we're good?" she questioned, recalling the night when Jim had asked her the same thing.

"We're great," he smiled as he took her hand. They laughed, happy that they still had each other despite everything that had happened.

He pulled her back to their hideout, back to the real world, back to the danger they knew they weren't nearly safe from.

* * *

**Whew.  
This was a really hard chapter for me for some reason, but I guess I'm satisfied with how it finally turned out.  
**

**Hope you enjoyed!  
Remember - 3+ comments and then I post the next chapter!  
-Emily  
**


	13. Three Strikes, You're Out

**I know what your thinking - it's about time!  
I'm sorry it took forever and a day for me to get this up. This was another one of those chapters I rewrote a bajillion times before I was satisfied. Then I was sick, and then I was in New Orleans, and now it's homecoming week at school... ugh.**

**And did my last chapter seriously make people cry?  
Whoa.  
I hope it was in a good way; I really didn't think my writing was that evocative.  
If it was - that was really awesome to hear. I was so shocked when I read those comments.  
Keep posting nice things, please :]**

**Okay, I hope you guys like it!  
-Emily**

* * *

"Gentlemen, Tabitha…we must stay together and…and…" the pained captain tried to tell the group that had crowded around her.

"And what? We must stay together and what!?" Dr. Doppler asked in a frenzy.

"Doctor…you have… wonderful eyes…" she said in a state of near delirium.

"She's lost her mind!"

"Well, you got to help her!" Jim told him.

"Dang it, Jim, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor! I mean, I am a doctor, but I'm not _that kind_ of doctor! I have a doctorate; it's not the same thing! You can't help people with a doctorate! You just sit there and you're useless!"

"It's okay, Doc. It's all right," Jim comforted him.

"Yeah, Doc, Jimmy knows exactly how to get out of this. It-it's just Jimmy has this knowledge of things…" B.E.N. wandered over to where Jim and Tabitha were now standing, looking out over their surroundings. "Jim – any thoughts at all?"

Jim ran his fingers through his bangs as he tried to concentrate. "Without the map – "

"- we're dead," Tabitha concluded.

"If we try to leave – "

" – we're dead."

"If we stay here – "

"We're dead! We're dead! We're dead! We're dead!" Morph repeated nonsensically. Tabitha reached out and quieted the blob and Jim looked to her for help, but she just shrugged her shoulders with a hopeless sigh. He shook his head and leaned over the edge of their fortress. Tabitha placed a comforting hand on his back.

"Well, uh, I think th-that Jimmy could use a little 'quiet time', so I'll just slip out the back door…" B.E.N. whispered.

"Back door?" Jim and Tabitha turned in unison.

"Oh yeah. I get this delightful breeze through here, which I think is important because ventilation among friends – "

They rushed over and looked down through the hole B.E.N. had just revealed.

"What the…"

"Whoa…what is all this stuff?" Jim asked at the incredible sight.

"You mean the miles and miles of machinery that run through the entire course of the inside of this planet? Not a clue!" B.E.N. explained.

Tabitha rubbed her temples; she would never cease to be amazed by this robot.

"Hey! Doc! Doc, I think I found a way out of here!" Jim shouted. Tabitha looked up at Jim hopefully, expecting to be able to join him, but he looked hesitant.

"Let me guess – I should stay here and be safe?" she asked in annoyed tone.

Jim sighed and grabbed her hand. "I'd really like you to, but you can come if you want. They may need you more here, though. I know the captain and doc have guns, but you're the only one who's really going to be able to use one properly at the moment."

Tabitha gulped. "We might have to use guns? As in shoot someone?" She didn't want to shoot anyone, especially not... she couldn't even bare to think it.

"I hope not," he tried to sound reassuring, but he just sounded as worried as she did.

She nodded in sad understanding. "Right… I'll stay here."

"Thank you," Jim gave her a quick kiss and stood up to jump through the door.

"No, no, Jim, wait. The captain ordered us to stay to – " Dr. Doppler objected

"I'll be back!" He jumped through the hole, followed by B.E.N. and Morph.

"Woof," Dr. Doppler sighed.

Tabitha blew a few stray pieces of hair out of her face and turned back around to Doc and the captain. He was trying to help her, but it was obvious he didn't really know what he was doing. His method seemed to consist of touching her different places and asking "Does this hurt?", then apologizing when it did. Tabitha walked over and sat down next to them.

"Can I help?" she asked Dr. Doppler.

"Oh, um, of course. If you think you can, that is…" he looked at her confused.

"What exactly hurts?" she asked Amelia. The captain looked up at her, a bit surprised, but answered.

"I-I'm not exactly sure..." the captain stuttered in surprise.

"May I?" Tabitha asked tentatively as she reached out to touch her. Amelia stared at her for a moment, before finally nodding slowly. Tabitha reached down and carefully ran her hands down her ribcage, then her shoulder and arm. "Hmm," was all she said when she was finished.

"What?" the doctor asked worriedly.

"Your shoulder is dislocated, but it doesn't feel too bad, and you humerus is fractured, and you've cracked at least 2, but I think 3 ribs," Tabitha explained easily. The two adults stared at her as if she had just sprouted another head. "What?"

"How do you know all of this?" Dr. Doppler asked in astonishment.

She shrugged. "I guess I just picked it up over the years. A lot of the time people went to…" she paused at his name, still put off by their earlier encounter, "Silver for medical care, so it was just watch and learn. I'm not a professional by any means, but I've done some hands on work before and I'm pretty sure I'm right. Just… figure out a way to keep your torso as still as possible… and keep your arm in that sling, and you should be back up in no time."

The two kept staring at her, so she smiled awkwardly and walked over to the entrance. She gazed at the surrounding land, and decided it was interestingly beautiful, in a strangely mysterious kind of way. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Jim, B.E.N., and Morph climb out of a hidden door disguised by a rock and head over to the longboat. She sighed; she wanted to be out there too. All of this sitting and waiting was making her antsy.

"You know it's only because he likes you," Dr. Doppler said out of the blue.

It took a second for Tabitha to realize he had been talking to her, but when she did she looked up at him baffled. "What?"

"The reason Jim wanted you to stay here – it's because he cares for you."

"Yeah, I know. He just wants me to be safe." She turned away from him and sighed heavily.

He stood up and walked over to her. She turned back around when she noticed he was next to her and looked up at him. He was smiling at her in the same understanding way he had smiled at her and Jim the morning after they had watched the stars.

"I just hate having to sit back and watch," she began to rant to him. "I want to help and be involved and do things. We're all in this together, and everyone is doing stuff and I feel like I'm not playing my part. I get that he's trying to protect me because he likes me, but – "

"Tabitha, I'm not going to say I know what's going on in Jim's head, but I know that you're very special to him. You and he have a special bond, and thus a special relationship. You're unlike anyone he's ever known before, and I think you're just the thing he needs right now. He doesn't want to lose someone else that he loves."

Tabitha's head shot up to face him. "He... l-loves?"

The doctor realized what he had just insinuated, and cleared his throat nervously. Pink rose to Tabitha's cheeks as she wondered whether this was just the doctor being foolish or if their really was some truth behind it…

"Besides," he started nervously. "You know what a loud mouth he is. He needs someone like you to help get him out of trouble."

Tabitha smiled, but it was soon broken off by a sound from the bottom of the hill. They peered out and found that Jim and the others were in a longboat, ascending back to the ship, but Silver and his comrades had woken up and were now standing beside the hidden door that the others had climbed out of moments before, preparing to climb through to come and get the map.

"Like now for instance," Dr. Doppler concluded.

Tabitha turned back to him panicked. "What? What am I supposed to do?"

"You have a gun. The captain's incapable of doing much of anything right now, especially fighting, and I need to stay with her. It's up to you now."

Tabitha turned back to face her enemy's. How was she going to handle this?

"Just make sure they keep thinking we have the map. That's the only way to keep Jim safe and give us even a chance of getting the map."

Tabitha nodded and started to climb out.

"Oh, and one more thing," the doctor stopped her. "If Jim asks, I did everything in my power to stop you. He'd kill me if he found out I let you leave here willingly."

"Yeah, no problem," she tried to smile, but her worries had overtaken her and she couldn't, so she turned and headed down the hill.

**--Tabitha's POV--**

I tried to develop a plan as I went, but my mind blanked on everything. I couldn't focus when there were so many things to consider in so little a time. As I got closer, I was able to hear the pirates' discussion.

"All we gotta do is sneak up there an' take the map from 'em."

"What about the girl, Silver?" someone asked.

"Tabby? Jus' lemme handle her."

It was now or never; this was my opportunity to prove I could do something, that I could help. I gathered up my courage, took a deep breath, and marched the last few feet into the clearing.

"And how exactly do you plan on 'handling' me, Silver?"

Everyone turned and aimed a gun at me. I tried to act unconcerned, but my heart felt ready to beat out of my chest. Silver looked stunned, but then he laughed me off.

"Well, now, Tabby – sorry, _Tabitha_ – we was jus' comin' to visit ya."

"Drop the humor, Silver. I'm here to talk business." I had no idea where I was getting this from, but I really didn't care. I just had to keep them distracted to ensure everyone else's safety.

Silver looked me over seriously and crossed his arms. "Is tha' so?"

"Don't worry, there are no tricks. Just a little palaver," I smiled sarcastically. "I've got something you want, and you've got something I want. I think we can arrange a trade."

"An' what exactly do I hav' that ye be wantin?"

"I want a share of the Treasure."

The crew burst into a fit of laughter, except Silver. He continued to look me over, trying to figure out what I was playing at. "Shut yer yaps!" He shouted in irritation at his comrades.

"Look, Silver, it's quite easy really. I give you the map, and you give me a small portion of the vast treasure that you will find with it, or I keep the map, and nobody gets any treasure. Unless of course, _I_ decided to follow the map and keep the treasure all to myself…"

He looked me over, either debating whether I was telling the truth or in shock that I had suddenly pulled a 180 on everyone. My heart continued to race as I developed my plan in my head.

"Tha's all ya want? A share o' the treasure?"

"A _fair_ share, yes."

"Alrigh', Tabitha, ya got yerself a deal. Hand over the map," he reached out to me.

"Whoa, easy there. How do I know I can trust you to give me my portion of the treasure? No, I think I'll keep the map, and you can follow _my_ lead."

The crew looked confusedly back and forth between me and Silver. He was obviously weighing the options, trying to figure out what he had missed.

"An' how does Jim feel abou' all this?" Silver tested.

"He doesn't know, of course. Our relationship's a bit…strained. Couldn't you tell earlier? Besides, I didn't really think he'd approve of me plotting with you."

Silver chuckled. "Las' nigh' you was in love with the boy, and now ya expect me to believe yer no longer on speaking conditions?" _There's that love thing again..._ How'd ya manage to make such a turn aroun'?"

"Well yesterday I didn't know you were a pirate either. A lot can change in a day."

"I never pictured ya as bein' so cold hearted, Tabitha," he said, still unsure of whether he believed me or not.

"I spent the last five years being raised by a pirate. Some of his traits were bound to rub off on me." I shrugged, but my words were sharp. I wasn't even close to forgiving him for everything he'd put us through.

"I don't trust her, Silver," one of the crew members spoke up.

"How do we know she's not tricking us?"

"What could I possibly gain from trying to trick you?" I interrupted their questioning. They stopped. "Exactly. I've got the map, there's no reason for me to bluff."

Everyone kept staring at me. I had to do something to convince them, and quickly. They could not catch on now. I just had to keep talking, just keep them focused on me.

"Oh come on, Silver. You told me earlier that I was welcome to come back and be a part of this. Why are you having such a hard time with it now?"

Silver hadn't moved; he just kept looking me over. "Show it to me," he finally said.

"What?"

"Show us the map."

I panicked. What was I supposed to do now? "I don't have it with me," I said, hoping that my voice still sounded calm.

"What?!"

"Then where is it?!"

"You said that – "

"- you had it with you!"

"No, I just said I had it. I wasn't going to bring it down here just so you could shoot me and take it. How stupid do you think I am?"

"So where's it at?" Silver questioned, his suspicion rising again.

"Oh, no. We'll conclude our deal, and then you'll see the map."

"Or we could just kill her now and go get the map on our own," someone suggested as he raised his gun to me again. The others shouted their agreement.

My heart skipped a few beats. What was stopping them from killing me? All it would take was one order from Silver… I couldn't falter now. They had to keep believing me. "You'll never find it on your own. I can tell you right now that I don't have it and neither does the captain or the doctor or Jim."

"Then where's it at, Tabitha?" Silver asked aggravated.

"It's... hidden. But I know where." _What am I doing?_ I tried to stay calm and keep one step ahead of them, but my thoughts whirled around much to fast for me to concentrate.

A tense silence followed as everyone waited on Silver's next move. He scratched his chin thoughtfully and I focused on looking serious.

"Silver…" one of the crew members began uneasily.

"I'll be the one makin' the deals here! Now off with ya," Silver said to his crew as he walked towards me. They grumbled their complaints, but Silver shut them up with an order of, "Now!"

He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me a short distance away from the rest of the crew. "What are ya playin' at, lass?"

"I'm not playing at anything, Silver," I jerked my arm out of his grasp.

"This ain't no game, Tabitha! If yer tryin' to pull the wool over our eyes, ya need to tell me now while I can still help ya."

"Oh _now_ you want to help me?"

"If yer lyin an' the crew gets a hold o' ya, there won' be a t'ing I can do to save ya."

I felt goose bumps rise on my arms, but I was determined not to shudder openly. "Do you want the map or not?"

He stared fiercely at me, but I didn't waver. I couldn't give up now. We were too close. Surely Jim would have the map soon…then while he was coming back in the longboat, I could lead the crew off on a wild goose chase… or something. _Ugh, so much for having a plan._ Jim just had to get back safely, and we had to get the map – that was all that mattered.

"Alrigh', how much o' the treasure ya want?"

"20 percent," I demanded as I held my ground.

"10." He haggled.

"19.

"15."

"18. And that's my final offer."

"Ya drive a tough bargain. Tha's a lot o' loot to hand over, Tabitha," Silver said.

"Well, you give up a few things chasing a dream," I replied, trying to guilt trip him.

Silver gave a small, sad sort of laugh. "Alrigh', we'll try this, but I'm still not sure I can trust ya."

"Don't worry, the feeling's mutual."

He chuckled. "So how are the rest of ya?"

I looked up at Silver skeptically. "What? As if you care."

"Course I do, lass! It's jus' the crew would - "

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know - the crew would have gutted us all if they'd found out you'd gone soft. Save it, Silver," I snapped. "If you must know, that laser ball you shot at our ship bruised us all up pretty bad. Knocked me unconscious actually, and the captain's hurt pretty bad. I was able to help her a little, but she's going to need a doctor."

"Ya learned something from me after all, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess I learned at least one good thing from you." Now it was my turn to sound sad.

"I really am sorry, lass. Like I said, this weren't about you."

"Yeah, well, I'll believe it when I see it. Your words don't mean much to me anymore." I knew I was being mean, but I was angry and he deserved it.

He sighed. "But Jim and Morph are okay?"

I turned to face him. My mind continued it's argument over whether I should trust him or not. He sounded so earnest... but then again, he had before too...

"Yes, despite everything you've put them through, they're fine," I said harshly.

"Wha's tha' group doin' up on the ship?"

I hesitated for half a second too long. "...Th-they're… d-disabling the laser canons," I stumbled to keep our cover up. _That was much too close_. He noticed and looked up at me. "So you can't 'blast us all to kingdom come'."

Silver chuckled. "Well, I guess tha' won' be necessary since yer goin' to be givin' us the – " he paused, as if he had suddenly realized something.

"What?" I asked warily.

He scratched his chin. "How was it tha' ya ended up wit' Morph?"

_Damnit._

"Um, I...I-I don' know. I th-think he just… came with us."

Silver narrowed his eyes. "I don' think so, lass." He said darkly.

That was strike three in Silver's book. He grabbed my arm and dragged me back towards the rest of the crew, throwing me to the ground in front of them.

"Silver, wha- " one of them began, but Silver stopped him.

"She don't have the map! The map's still on the ship!"

There was a unanimous "What?" that passed over the group as they all turned to face me.

"Morph disguised himself as the map an' tha' boy grabbed 'im! Now he's up there tryin' to get the real one!" Silver was enraged. "Isn' that righ', Tabitha?"

I pulled myself to my feet and tried to answer. "Um… n-no, it's... he – " I couldn't come up with anything though. I was backed into a corner and there was no way out. The crew looked at me menacingly and I took a step back.

Silver opened the door hidden by the rock. "Let's go."

Out of instinct, I tried to run, but I hadn't gone two steps when someone grabbed my arms and dragged me over to the door.

"No! Let go of me! Ah!" I shouted as I was pushed through the hole. I felt so stupid; I just wanted to help, and I managed to ruin everything. Everyone was in danger because of me. Every time I tried to help, I just made things worse. I let my guard down for two seconds, and completely sabotage the whole thing. I felt like crying again, but I bit the inside of my lip and forced myself not to. I needed to focus on staying alive.

The rest of the crew followed me into the machinery, led by Silver. He held my arm tightly in one hand and a gun in the other and we headed through the metallic tunnels back to the hideout.

"Ya shoulda gotten out when ya had the chance, lass."

* * *

**I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be easier to write...  
but I've been wrong before.**

**I'll have it up A.S.A.P.**

**Remember - 3+ comments!  
Thank you everybody!  
-Emily**


	14. The Beginning of the End

**Yep, I was wrong.  
It took me forever to post this chapter too.  
Sorry, I've just got a LOT going on.**

**I hope it was worth the wait!**

**Enjoy**

**-Emily**

* * *

  
Jim was silent as the grave as he made his way back through the tunnel of pipes with B.E.N. and Morph following behind. He felt eerily serene considering everything he'd been through. So much had happened over the past day and his emotions had been jarred so many times that now all he could feel was the dull, numbing ache of all of them combined, beginning with the fear, shock, and anger from first discovering Silver's plan to the excitement, remorse, and pride of now, when he finally had the map in hand.

They'd managed to get past the pirates, the laser cannons were disconnected, and everything seemed like it was working out, giving Jim a brief amount of time to reflect on what had happened, but Jim could concentrate only on the thought that dominated all of the others - Scroop. He'd killed him. He still couldn't believe it. Yes, it was self defense and yes, Scroop probably did get what was coming to him, but it still didn't sit well with Jim, especially after everything that had happened with Mr. Arrow's death... But it was done now and although he wished there had been another way, nothing could change it now. He knew he'd have to deal with the regret once he had a chance to relax and separate himself from the commotion of the past day, but for now, he had to stay focused.

They finally reached the door to their hideout, B.E.N. and Morph still staying surprisingly quiet, perhaps sensing that Jim needed to keep to himself for a little while. Jim climbed out, then lent a hand to B.E.N. Relieved to finally be back, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and rushed over to the shadows where he had last seen the doctor and the captain.

"Doc, wake up! I got the map," he said excitedly, but instead of the babbling praise he expected to hear, a mechanical arm reached out and grabbed the map as Silver loomed out of the shadows.

"Fine work, Jimbo. Fine work indeed…"

As the adrenaline rush hit, a wave of panic washed over Jim and he scanned the room in search of his friends. He found Dr. Doppler & Captain Amelia were both gagged and being held captive by two of the pirates, but where was Tabitha?

The pirates circled Jim. He tried to run, but was easily held back by two of the pirates. Morph tried to help him by biting one of his captor's, but a swish from their tail hit Morph to the ground and sent him rushing to seek safety in Jim's pocket.

"What's this sorry stack o' metal?" one of the others called upon discovering B.E.N.

"Not the face!" the robot shouted.

Jim fought as hard as he could to get away, realizing how stupid he was for not expecting something like this. He'd noticed the fire at the pirates' campground had been put out when he was on the way back; how did he manage to overlook the fact that none of them were there? He was irritated with himself, but he quickly pushed that to the side to focus on the other issues at hand, namely Tabitha and the map.

"Yer jus' like me, Jimbo," Silver said slyly as he walked over to him with an arrogant smile. "Ya hate's to lose."

Jim set his jaw and glared back at his foe. "Where's Tabitha?" he angrily over-enunciated.

Silver raised his eyebrows, then turned and gestured with his head for someone to come forward. A burly looking man appeared holding Tabitha. She tried to shout, but she had been gagged like the others and it came out as nothing more than muffled squeals. Jim could tell she was fighting with everything she had, but it wasn't having any affect at all; the pirate was two or three times her size and easily overpowered her. He laughed, but Tabitha only fought harder. One look at the indelicate way he was holding her combined with the taunting glances he was casting, and Jim snapped. Infuriated, he stepped up his fight for freedom so he could help her.

"Let her go," he demanded of Silver as he kept fighting despite his realization that trying to pull away wasn't going to work.

Silver however wasn't listening; he was too focused on the map and trying to get it open. He mumbled to himself as he turned it over in his hands, pressing it and twisting it, but it was to no avail. Eventually he stopped and looked to Jim who shook his head at the attempt.

"Open it," Silver demanded, handing the map back to Jim as his captors released their grip on his arms.

Jim hesitated – he had the map in hand, how hard would it be to grab Tabitha and make a run for it? Near impossible, he quickly realized. Plus, Doc and the Captain would still be here… it was useless to try anything.

Jim opted to only glare, making it clear that he wasn't going to help. If Silver wasn't going to release Tabitha and the others, Silver wasn't getting a map.

"I'd get busy…" Silver suggested menacingly as he converted his cyborg arm to a gun and pointed it at Tabitha. Her eyes widened and she jerked back out of fear, but then she turned to face Jim and shook her head insistently, still trying to shout something through her gag. He turned to Captain Amelia and Dr. Doppler and they too shook their heads (although the Doc didn't seem completely comfortable with the idea).  
Silver cocked his gun and looked back to Jim, forcing him to make a decision. Jim didn't care how much faith they had in Silver, he wasn't taking any chances. He rapidly pressed the correct combination of buttons and twisted it open to reveal the iridescent map of Treasure Planet. The crew gazed up in awe, and Tabitha's captor distractedly relaxed enough for her to escape. She ran hastily to Jim, tearing off the fabric tied around her mouth in the process.

"Jim!" she said relieved, but still frightened. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, both for comfort and protection, and she did the same.

The pirates were gawking at the map, which had now turned into a blinking line leading off in the distance, but Silver quickly got back to business.

"Tie 'em up!" he commanded as he noticed the two teenagers were now together. "An' leave 'em wit' the others 'till – " he stopped as the glowing line suddenly retreated back into the golden sphere.

"You want the map, you're taking me too," Jim demanded.

"And me," Tabitha added. Jim turned to her, but she stopped him before he could interject. "Don't say anything. I stayed back the last two times, this time I'm coming with you."

Jim nodded and grasped her hand in his, then they both turned back to Silver. He stared at them, his expression changing from one of anger to one of amusement. With a chuckle, he shook his head at the couple and made his decision.

"We'll take 'em all!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The group arrived on the distant side of the planet within minutes. Jim had spent the ride quietly interrogating Tabitha on everything that had happened and verifying that she was really okay. She gave him a hurried, short-hand explanation of her encounter with Silver, promising to explain everything else later.

Everyone except Dr. Doppler, Captain Amelia, and their guard hurriedly climbed out of the longboat and began the rest of the trek on foot. Jim helped Tabitha out of the boat and they followed behind the rest of the crew. Morph surfaced from Jim's pocket and squeaked in fear.

"It's okay, Morph. It's okay," he patted the tiny pink blob in assurance.

"Jimmy, I-I don't know about you, but I-I'm starting to see my pass in front of my eyes… at least, I think it's my life… was I ever dancing with an android named Lupe?!" B.E.N. shouted frantically.

"B.E.N. – shh!" Jim silenced the robot. "This isn't over yet."

"Please tell me you have a plan," Tabitha pleaded.

"I'm working on it…"

Tabitha sighed. They didn't have a minute. The green line of light they had been following pulsated faster the farther they traveled, and by now it was flashing at an alarmingly fast rate.

"We're getting' close, lads! I smell treasure awaitin'!" Silver shouted excitedly to his comrades, who cheered with excitement. He sliced through the vegetation in front of them, and the group let out a unified gasp of shock. There was a huge hole in front of them filled with… nothing.  
There was absolutely nothing there.

"Where is it?!"

"I see nothing! One great, big, stinking hunk of nothing!"

The map retracted back into the ball and Silver turned on Jim.

"What's goin' on, Jimbo?" he asked in irritation.

"I don't know." Jim tried pressing the buttons and twisting it, but nothing worked. He was just as frustrated as Silver; this was a total letdown for him too. "I can't get it open!"

"We shoulda neve' followed this boy!" One of the crew members shouted as they pushed him to the ground.

"Hey!" he complained.

"Leave him alone! It's not his fault Flint's map isn't working!" Tabitha stepped between the pirates and where Jim lay now sprawled out on the ground.

"I suggest ya get that gizmo goin' again, and fas'!" Silver shouted angrily, completely ignoring Tabitha's interjection. She turned her back on the crew's threats and knelt down beside Jim.

"What are we going to do?" she asked worriedly, but he didn't appear to be listening. "Jim?"

He did a double take of the map, then the ground, then the map again, then finally forced it into a small, circular indentation.

The engraved patterns of the map fit perfectly with those of the hole, and it immediately locked in place and sent waves of yellow and green light coursing through the ground before they faded away.

"What did you just do?" Tabitha asked stunned.

"I have no idea," Jim replied nervously.

Suddenly, several beams of light were cast upward from around the ball. Where their ends met, a glowing, green globe appeared. Jim reached out to touch it, but hesitated at the sound of some strange mechanics suddenly firing up. Lights emanated from the outer edges of the gorge, shooting straight towards the cliff where they stood. They then met together and shot straight into the sky before forming into a large triangular opening.

"Oh, have mercy…" Silver mumbled in shock.

"No way," Tabitha stated in awe.

"The Lagoon Nebula?" Jim asked incredulously as he observed the hazy, celestial body that the door had revealed.

"What?" Tabitha questioned.

"But that's… halfway 'cross the galaxy…" Silver retorted.

"A big door… opening and closing… " Jim mumbled as he pressed other locations on the map, revealing different images in the doorway.

Tabitha gasped as she put together some of the pieces. "It's just like B.E.N. said…"

"Let's see – Kinapis… Montressor Space Port," Jim grinned as he touched the crescent shape and his home planet came into view. "So that's how Flint did it! He used this portal to roam the universe stealing treasure!"

"Whoa," Tabitha stated, pretty much summing up everyone's thoughts.

"But where'd he stash it all?!" Silver questioned angrily as he pushed Jim to the side and took control of the globe and began frantically pressing every destination he could find. "Where's that blasted treasure?!"

"Treasure!" B.E.N. interjected. "It's buried in the – "

" – buried in the centroid of the mechanism…" Jim and Tabitha finished in unison.

"What if the whole planet _is_ the mechanism?" Jim asked elatedly.

"And the treasure is buried in the center of this planet!" Tabitha jumped in.

Everyone stood still for a moment, taking it all in. Then the crew began trying to dig to the center of the planet before quickly realizing that you could not dig through metal.

"And how in blue blazes are we s'posed to get there?" Silver shouted in frustration.

Jim looked up to Tabitha and she gestured to the map. He had an "ah-ha!" moment and walked forward.

"Just… open the right door."

* * *

**We're getting close to the end :(  
But there are surprises in store! :)**

**Again, I'll try to get up the next chapter asap, but being a senior is a lot of work.**

Thank you for reading!  
-Emily


	15. It's All Been Leading Up to Now

**Wow, another chapter already?  
That's right!  
The last one was the significantly shorter than the others (second only to the one with Tabitha's history), so I decided it was only fair.**

**I like to make my loyal fans happy :)**

**Oh yeah! I decided to go off a little bit in this chapter and work with some of the other characters, so I hope that goes well.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The huge triangular door closed and reopened to reveal the center of the planet.

Tabitha held her breath as Jim stepped up and stuck his arm through the portal, then slowly stepped through. Seeing that nothing had happened to him, she went too, closely followed by Silver and the rest. They walked forward tentatively, and froze. There was a collective gasp of awe as they took in their surroundings. Their were mountains upon mountains of treasure, more gold and jewels than seemed possible. It was an unbelievable sight.

They had found it – Flint's Trove.

The crew jumped and whooped elatedly as they ran forward to claim their portions.

"The Loot of a Thousand Worlds…" Silver said, still in shock.

"Incredible…" Tabitha murmured.

"We are going to need a bigger boat!" One of the crew members shouted from somewhere amongst the towering piles of treasure.

"This is all seeming very familiar…" B.E.N. said as he rubbed his head. Tabitha looked around. They needed a way to get out quickly and with as much gold as possible. She knew that only a couple of handfuls would be more than she would ever need, but she also knew that Jim didn't come all this way to leave with a percentage that small; he had his mom and the inn to think of, too. Suddenly, she spotted their ticket out.

"Jim, look!" Tabitha whispered as she raced over to their right. Jim turned to see what she was talking about, and saw her pointing at a boat, an old boat, but one loaded down with treasure. He glanced back to make sure Silver hadn't noticed them, then followed her.

"B.E.N. come on! We're getting out of here, and we're not leaving empty handed!"

Tabitha, Jim, B.E.N. and Morph made their way across the gleaming piles towards the boat, doing double-takes every so often to make sure no one had realized they were gone. B.E.N continued to make worried comments about how familiar this all was, but the teens had learned to block it out by now.

"How are you holding up?" Tabitha asked Jim as she lent him a hand.

Jim grunted as she helped pull him up to the top of one of the hills. "I honestly have no idea how to answer that," he replied as he slid down the other side.

"You're not mad at me?" she shouted before sliding down after him. When she got to the bottom they turned to face each other.

"Mad at you? No, why would I be mad at you?"

"Well, this is all my fault. If I hadn't gone down to try to help, then Silver never would have realized that we didn't have the map – "

"Oh no, you're not taking the blame for all of this. You told me yourself that the only reason you went down there is because Silver saw me climb out of the trap door and figured out that it was a way in. If anything, I'm to blame," he said as he grabbed their hand and they continued on their journey. "Or in fact, if you want to blame somebody, blame Silver for mutinying the voyage, or Bones for giving me the map, or Flint for coming up with this whole idea of Treasure Planet in the first place!"

She laughed as they reached the edge of the boat. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'll stop being paranoid."

Jim pulled himself up, then reached down to help Tabitha.

"You know what's strange? I can't tell you how frustrating this is Jimmy," B.E.N. continued with his jabbering about how familiar this seemed. Tabitha rolled her eyes with exasperation at the robot. Jim chuckled as he reached down to pull him up too. "Cause th-there's something, it's nagging at the back of my mind – AHH!" The robot shrieked as he tumbled to the floor. Jim and Tabitha turned around and their eyes widened in shock.

"Speak of the devil…" Tabitha said.

"Captain Flint?" Jim said in disbelief.

"In the flesh!" B.E.N. shouted. "Well, sort of, except for skin, organs, or anything that resembles flesh, tha-that's not there…"

Jim stepped forward to the skeleton of the infamous pirate, scanning over him carefully, from his golden tooth to the rusted buttons on his coat, to his fist curled around something...

"An-and yet it's so odd, you know? I remember there was something horrible, Flint didn't want anyone else to know – "

"Whoa, whoa, wait, something horrible?" Tabitha turned to the robot. "Like what?"

"But I-I just, I can't remember what it was…"

Tabitha tried to keep her frustration with the robot to a minimum and used gentle tones to try to coerce the memory from him. "Well, what was it about? Was it about the treasure?"

Jim meanwhile had pulled a small piece of metal with some wire's connected to it out of the skeleton's grasp and was observing it carefully.

"Oh, a mind is a terrible things to lose!" B.E.N. sobbed as he leaned onto Tabitha's shoulder and cried. She was a little take aback, but patted his back comfortingly. She looked up to Jim for help and found him holding the small metal piece.

"What is that?"

"B.E.N. – I think I just found your mind!" He shouted excitedly as she rushed forward toward the robot. He grabbed his head and B.E.N. winced.

"Ah! Jimmy! Y-your hands are very, very cold!"

The wires snapped together as the piece connected itself to the the back of B.E.N.'s head.

"Whoa! Hello!" B.E.N. shouted as his eyes changed from a lime green to a pale blue and he adjusted to having his memory back. "You know Jimmy, I was just thinking…I was just… think…It's all coming back! All my memories!"

Tabitha and Jim smiled at the success, excited that he would finally be able to tell him everything he remembered about Flint and the treasure.

"Right up until Flint pulled my memory circuit so I could never tell anyone about his booby trap!"

Their smiles fell; that wasn't exactly what they'd had in mind. An explosion suddenly sounded from above, providing credibility to B.E.N.'s statement, and they turned to stare at it in horror.

"Flint wanted to make sure that nobody could ever steal his treasure, so he rigged this planet to blow higher than a Kalepsian kite!"

No sooner had the words been spoken, then mechanics started to fall from the ceiling, breaking the floor where they hit, and lasers began melting the gold, sending most of the pirates scurrying for the exit.

"Run Jimmy and Tabby! Run for your lives!" B.E.N. shrieked frantically.

"You go back and help the captain and doc!" Jim told him as he scurried to the other side of the boat and dove under the control booth to begin repairing the mechanics. "If I'm not there in five minutes, leave without me!"

"I am not leaving my buddy Jimmy!" the robot shouted as he pulled on Jim's legs. Jim glared harshly at the robot. "Unless… he looks at me like that. Bye, Jim!"

Tabitha pushed down the panic that was trying to erupt over her, and rushed to his side. She observed the control panel, watching the lights on it flickered on and off as Jim tried to connect the power.

"You've almost got it!" she shouted to him.

He slid out from beneath the control box holding two live wires and looked up at her skeptically.

"Tabitha – "

"I'm staying here, so don't you dare try to tell me that I should go with B.E.N. because it's not going to happen!"

Jim's eyes widened a little at her outburst, but he smiled. "I was just going to ask you to press the ignition button."

She beamed at him and turned back to the panel as he slid back under and continued trying to hot wire the boat.

"Okay, I think I've got it!" he shouted up to her.

"Okay, hold on," she pressed several buttons and flicked on a few switches, and the boat sputtered to life. "Yes! Its working!" she raised it slowly off the ground as Jim crawled out. "We've got full power! You did it!"

"_We_ did it," he corrected.

Momentarily distracted from the chaos around them, they pulled each other into an embrace. Morph flew up between them and chirruped his concerns, first turning into an arrow that pointed to the now almost completely destroyed planet, then into a miniature version of the boat.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

The doctor and captain looked around worriedly as the planet trembled from within.

"All my life, I dreamed of an adventure like this," Dr. Doppler sighed sorrowfully. "I'm just sorry I couldn't have been more helpful to you."

"Don't be daft," Amelia replied sincerely. "You've been very helpful. Truly."

"I feel like such a useless weakling," he placed his face in his hands. It took him a moment to realize he had just managed to free himself from the rope that had held his hands behind his back. "With abnormally thin wrists…"

Amelia turned around as much as she could to face the doctor, trying not to stretch any of the muscles in her torso, to see what he was talking about.

He placed his hands back behind him and addressed their guard. "Excuse me, brutish pirate."

The pirate belched his reply.

"Yes, you. I have a question. Is it that your body is to massive for your teeny-tiny head, or is it that your head is too teeny-tiny for your big, fat body!"

Captain Amelia's eyes widened at his comments. Was he trying to get them killed?

The boat shook as the pirate walked over to him. "I pummel you good!" he growled, balling up his fist.

"Yes, I'm sure you will, but before you do, I have one more question," the doctor replied calmly. With a triumphant grin, he suddenly brought his hand forward and held a gun to the stomach of his captor. "Is this yours?"

"Uhh…" the pirate stated lamely.

"Sit down," the doctor ordered. The pirate raised his hands in surrender and obeyed. "Good. Now… um, don't move," he said as he began trying to help Amelia with one hand while continuing to hold the pirate at gunpoint with the other.

"Bravo, doctor," Amelia smiled as he pulled the rope away. She rubbed her wrists and looked up at him. "You've been very helpful indeed."

He smiled. "Here, you take this. You actually know how to use it," he handed the gun to her.

"Hey, wait a – " the pirate began as it dawned on him that he had been in no real danger.

The captain stood up quickly and raised the gun to him as much as she could with her injuries. "Not another word."

He shut his mouth and Dr. Doppler ran to him and tied his hands behind his back in much the same fashion as had been done to them.

"There. That should hold it," he said as he secured the knot. "Now what?"

He looked back to see the captain trembling, and quickly rushed forward before her legs collapsed from underneath her. He caught her and slowly sat her back down.

"Forgive me, I shouldn't have asked you to do that. I keep forgetting the extent of your injuries. You've been so brave about it all and..."

His apology tapered off as he locked eye contact with her. Neither said another word, they just slowly leaned toward each other…

"Doc! Captain! Hey!"

They snapped back at the sound and turned to see B.E.N. running frantically towards their boat.

"Blast it," Amelia mumbled under her breath.

Dr. Doppler cleared his throat as the robot reached them. "What is it, B.E.N.?"

"It's the kids! Jimmy and Tabby! They need your help!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Yes, Morph, we are so out of here!" Jim shouted excitedly. Tabitha laughed as Morph transformed into a small hand and gave her a high five.

"Ah! Jimbo and Tabby!" The group turned around in shock at the voice. "Aren't ya two lovebirds the seventh wonder of the universe!"

Tabitha gasped at the sight of Silver boarding the boat. How could she have almost forgotten about him? And were they going to save him? All of this was his fault… but as much as she hated to admit it, she still really did care for him. He was still practically her father, and she knew that Jim still looked up to him too, though he probably wouldn't admit it now... yet again, she was hovering in the ever-growing gray area between right and wrong. Jim apparently was a little more reluctant to forgive and forget (not that anyone could blame him) and he quickly chose his side.

"Get back!" he shouted at Silver as he picked up a sword lying nearby and held it out defensively.

Silver halted mid-step. Tabitha stayed behind Jim, keeping one hand on the wheel and alternating her attention between the two of them and where the boat was headed.

Silver's face hardened. "I liked ya, lad – an' you too, lass – but I've come too far to let ya stand between me an' my treasure…"

He stepped forward menacingly, and Jim and Tabitha backed up until they were pressed flat against the wheel, their breath shuddering as their minds raced to formulate a plan.

Before anyone could make another move though, one of the lasers hit their boat, sending them flying off the ship. Silver caught on to the edge of the boat and Tabitha managed to grasp onto the edge of the plateau of a yet-to-be-destroyed ledge, but Jim slid several feet down before finding somewhere to grasp.

Tabitha pulled herself up and looked around frantically before finally spotting Jim. "Jim!" she leaned over to lend a hand to him, but froze as she looked down.

She was struck by her worst fear at the worst possible time – heights, now, when the boy she would dare say she loved was dangling above a pit of molten gold.

"H-hold on, Jim!" she shouted as she turned back to see Silver focused on pulling the ship away from the laser beam. "Silver!" she tried to scream, but by now she was in a full-fledged panic attack and her shout was too meek to be heard over the noise of their surroundings.

Morph flew over to Silver and chattered rapidly in his face to get his attention instead.

"What?" he asked as he turned around.

He easily saw Tabitha, who was now almost hyperventilating as she broke into a cold-sweat, but it took him a little longer before he managed to zero in on Jim's precarious hold. "Jimbo!"

He quickly realized that was what must have been affecting Tabitha, so he extended his cyborg arm and reached as far as he could towards the boy while still gripping the boat.

"Reach for me now! Reach!"

"I-I can't!" Jim screamed, his fingers mere inches away from Silver's. Suddenly he let out a shout as he slid a few more feet down the wall before grasping onto another handle.

Tabitha's eyes shot open at the situation. She was _not _going to let this happen.

_Come on._

_I won't let you fall..._

No, Jim had helped her get over her fear of heights, and she was not about to let it come back now. She gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and rushed to the edge, then laid down on her stomach, and leaned over.

"Grab my hand!"

Jim reached up to her and managed to grasp her hand, but she slid a few inches down with the extra weight, so he removed it and grasped the wall again.

"What are you doing?! Take my hand!"

"No! I'm not going to pull you off too!"

"Damnit, Jim! Just take my hand!" she shouted. He relented, and she used all her might to try to pull him up, but gravity still prevailed.

Silver was glancing back and forth between the two kids he'd grown to care about so much and the ship loaded down with the thing he'd sacrificed so much for.

"Silver!" Tabitha shouted to him. "Silver, you have to help me! Ah!" she squealed as she sank a few more inches over the platform.

"Tabitha, I'm not going to let you die trying to save me!" Jim argued.

"No! You told me you wouldn't let me fall, now I'm not going to let you fall! Don't you dare let go of my hand, James Hawkins!" she tightened her grip on his hands and he did the same. "Silver! Please! Help!"

Silver did one more double take of the treasure, then the kids. Tabitha had a hold on Jim, but was now dangerously close to falling off herself. Her body was hanging so far over the edge that she appeared to actually be defying gravity. Silver sighed angrily to himself.

"Oh, blast me for a fool!"

He let go of the boat and slid to the other side just in time to grab Tabitha as she slipped completely off. They hardly had a chance to scream before Silver had dragged them up and they knew they were okay, at least for now.

They sat there for a second, all trying to catch their breath, before a strange noise from overhead made them look up just in time to see their escape ship be blown to pieces. Realizing there was not a second to spare, they stood up and raced across to the portal, and jumped through.

"Silver – " Jim started.

"You gave up – " Tabitha began.

"Just a life-long obsession, kids. I'll get over it," he replied nonchalantly.

"Aloha, Jimmy!"

They turned to see B.E.N., the captain, and Dr. Doppler all on the ship.

"Hurry, people! We've got exactly two minutes and thirty-four seconds to planet's destruction!"

All three's eyes widened as each looked around at the other two.

"Now you're doing fine, doctor, now ease her over gently. Gently!" the captain tried to direct the doctor as he scooted the boat to pick up the group. He not so easily rammed into the side of it, but they were at least able to board it now. The two men pushed Tabitha on first, then Jim climbed up, and the two of them pulled Silver on as the boat took off.

"Take us out of here, metal man!" the captain ordered B.E.N.

"Aye, Captain!"

B.E.N. pushed the thrusters to full speed, and they shot off towards their escape.

* * *

**Ahh! I know! It's so close to the end, and you have to wait more!**

**How was the scene between Doppler and Amelia? I just wanted to see how well I could work with them.  
Plus, that's Delbert's shining moment where he gets to pwn. How could you leave it out?**

**I'm done being a comment whore - I'll just post whenever I get a chance.  
But I would greatly appreciate if you would still leave comments/thoughts/suggestions/opinions/and other synonyms of that nature.**

**Thank you!  
-Emily**


	16. I Need a Hero

**Two chapters in a row again?!  
That's right. I'm on a roll!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The three of them rushed to the upper level of the deck to join the others. Silver paused on the stairs and took of his hat cordially to thank the captain.

"Captain, you dropped from the heavens in the nick o' – "

"Save your clap-trap for the judge, Silver," Amelia interrupted him sternly, not staying around long enough to hear anymore. Silver gave a nervous laugh.

A second later, everyone's head shot up at the sound of a large crash. A piece of debris from the explosion had hit the mast and broke it in half. The top portion fell to the deck, completely destroying the sail along with most of the mechanics. The ship's jets sputtered at the lack of energy.

"Oh no," Tabitha groaned as she surveyed the damage.

"Mizzen sail demobilized, captain. Thrusters at only thirty percent of capacity," B.E.N. informed.

"Thirty percent? That means…" Dr. Doppler calculated the mathematics in his head. "We'll never clear the planet's explosion in time."

It took a moment for everyone to absorb the doctor's words, then they were back to work, each racking their brain for an solution.

"What if we… " Tabitha thought out loud as she ran to the edge of the boat and looked behind them.

"What?" Jim asked as he followed her.

"The map – if we changed the location, then we could escape through the portal," she answered. "But there's no way – "

"Tabitha!" Jim stopped her as inspiration suddenly dawned on him. He grabbed her shoulders. "You're a genius!"

He jumped over the railing onto the deck and rushed over to the fallen mast.

"Wha – "

"We've got to turn around!" he told the others.

"What?" the captain shouted at Jim's seemingly insane demand.

"There's a portal back there! It can get us out of there!"

Silver began to catch on to the plan too. Tabitha hurried over to Jim, still confused, but eager to help with the only chance they had left.

"Pardon me, Jim, but didn't that portal open onto a raging inferno?!" The doctor shouted, trying to figure out if he should turn around or continue on, though neither sounded very promising.

"Yes! But I'm going to change that!" Jim shouted as he pulled a piece of metal away from the destroyed machinery of the fallen mast.

"But _how_, Jim?" Tabitha asked as she knelt down beside him.

"I'm going to open a different door!"

"But – " she began, but stopped when she realized what pieces Jim had pulled aside. A flat piece of metal, part of an engine that had made it out of the damage mostly unscathed… "Of course!"

"Captain, really, I just don't see how this could possibly – " Dr. Doppler argued.

"Listen to the boy!" Silver commanded.

"One minute twenty-nine seconds until planet's destruction!" B.E.N. reminded, doubling everyone's worry.

Jim grabbed a rope and tried to connect the two pieces he'd pulled out together.

"A rope, Jim? Honestly?" Tabitha looked at him askance.

"Well you come up with something then!"

"Silver!"

"What do ya need, kids?" he asked quickly as he knelt down next to them.

"Just… some way to attach this!" Jim explained.

"Alrigh', stan' back. Stan' back now!"

Tabitha and Jim leaned away from the sparks as Silver melded the metal together. Once it was secured, the three of them lifted it up to the edge.

"There ya go," Silver grunted.

"There ya go!" Morph repeated as he "helped" the three place the surfer on the edge of the ship.

Jim balanced it a bit precariously, and Silver held it steady to make sure it wouldn't fall as Jim climbed onto it.

"Okay, now no matter what happens, keep the ship headed straight for that portal!" Jim ordered the other two as he prepared himself.

Silver's eyes were wide with concern and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but closed it as he accepted Jim's request. Jim looked to Tabitha next; she looked way less accepting than Silver. She stood gaping at him as she tried to figure out how to say everything she wanted – needed – to say.

"Fifty-eight seconds!"

"Tabitha…" Jim said much quieter.

She looked at him, her heart pounding, her eyes wide with concern. He spared a second to lock eye contact with her, but didn't say a word. There was only one thing she could think of to say... Three small words could sum up everything she was feeling, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. Despite that this might be her last chance, despite that every piece of her screaming at her to say it, she couldn't, not here, not now. She couldn't do anything except stand there, returning the anxious gaze he was wearing too.

After a second that seemed to last for an eternity, Jim turned away from her, gritted his teeth in determination, and launched himself off the edge of the ship as he kicked his makeshift surfer into gear and shot off towards the portal.

"Well ya heard 'im! Ge' this blasted heap turn' roun'!" Silver told the captain.

Amelia blinked at him, but relayed the order. "Doctor, head us back to the portal."

"Aye, captain," Dr. Doppler obeyed reluctantly.

Silver turned back to Tabitha, who hadn't moved a muscle.

"Lass…" he started carefully.

"I…"

But she couldn't say anything else, not that she needed too; he'd seen what had just passed between her and Jim. Though neither had actually said it out loud, it was written across their faces what they were both dying (he mentally reprimanded himself for this poor choice of words) to say. Silver knew them the best, probably better than they knew each other, and it was easy for him to read their thoughts. She turned to face Silver and he saw the tears welling up in her eyes, only confirming his ideas.

"Come on now, Tabby," he bent down to her level. "Ya know Jim! He can do it! If anyone can get us out o' here, it's James Hawkins!"

It was an empty promise, but she felt slightly comforted nonetheless. She nodded solemnly, and they leaned over the edge to watch him.

"Now to the right! Now Right!" Captain Amelia was trying to direct Dr. Doppler's driving.

"I know! I know! Will you just let me drive?!"

As the ship veered drastically left and right and up and down, trying to avoid any more critical damage, Tabitha and Silver struggled to spot Jim. It was nearly impossible to see through all the pieces of the collapsing planet around them, but they were able to catch glimpses of him every so often, enough so that they could keep track of where he was.

"Twenty-five seconds!"

Jim was nearly to the portal, and Tabitha held her breath, convinced that it might actually work out. But then, disaster struck. As Jim soared over the last crevice before the portal, the engine on his board abruptly failed and he began free falling. He tried desperately to kick it back to life while Tabitha and Silver watched in horror as he sunk down into the ravine and they lost sight of him.

"No…" Tabitha shook her head in disbelief that quickly escalated to full out panic. "Jim!"

She couldn't watch anymore; it was too much. She couldn't bear to think that this was how it was going to end, that that was the last time she would ever see Jim, that now they were all going to...

She covered her face and leaned against Silver, and he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly as he anxiously prayed for the reappearance of the boy. "Come on, lad…"

"Seventeen seconds!"

Morph squeaked and covered his eyes too. Tabitha was about give up hope completely until -

"There 'e is!" Silver shouted. Tabitha turned back excitedly and saw Jim. She thanked the heavens that he was okay – at least for now – and nearly relaxed, until she realized how close they were to the portal… which was still open to the fiery interior of the planet.

She held her breath and gripped the ledge of the ship until her knuckles were white. Silver's grip tightened around her as they listened to B.E.N. count down the last few seconds…

"Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two…"

Tabitha closed her eyes as the boat hit the portal just as it closed between the old destination and the new one. They'd hit smack dab in the middle of the change, so where were they going to end up?

The entire Etherium seemed to pause, hanging in some sort of inter-world limbo. It was absolutely silent, that same kind of silent that had been during the Supernova, the kind that seemed to press around you from all sides, seizing your breath and daring you to try and steal it back.

Then, their prayers were answered.

The doors burst open and the explosion pushed them through the door to a welcoming bright blue sky surrounding Montressor Space Port.

If people had been excited after they survived the supernova, it was nothing compared to this. Even the crew being held below celebrated their lives, though they would spend the rest of it in Jail, and Amelia and Doppler embraced each other openly, much to everyone's surprise and delight, including their own.

"We're alive!" Tabitha shouted elatedly as she threw her arms joyfully around Silver.

He picked her up and swung her around. "Aye! I know we are lass!"

Morph burst into a miniature explosion of celebratory fireworks.

They turned to see Jim flying back towards the boat and Silver stuck out his hand for a high-five which Jim returned. "Didn' I say the lad 'ad greatness in 'im?"

They laughed as Jim skidded across the edge of the ship and jumped off the surfer. Everyone rushed forward to congratulate him. Morph was the first to reach him, rushing up to him and excitedly licking his face with admiration.

"Unorthodox, but ludicrously effective," Amelia praised. "I'd be proud to recommend you to the Interstellar Academy. They could use a man like you."

Jim's smile had never shone brighter. This is exactly what he'd always wanted, and now fully deserved.

"Just wait until your mother hears about this!" Dr. Doppler said excitedly. "Of course we may downplay the life threatening parts."

"Jimmy? That was… unforgettable!" B.E.N. shouted. "I know you don't like touching, but get ready for a hug big guy 'cause I'm going to hug you!"

B.E.N. laughed as he leaped at Jim, who surprised the robot by returning the hug enthusiastically.

"Hey, you hugged me back! Oh, I promised myself I wouldn't cry! Does anyone have a tissue?"

B.E.N. sobbed and leaned onto Jim. Jim laughed and patted the robot. Looking up, he noticed Tabitha standing just behind everyone else, observing the scene with a small smile. He slowly pulled himself away from the robot and the group parted for him. He walked over to her and grabbed her hand.

"Tabitha - "

"You're amazing," Tabitha said simply.

Jim stopped. He had been planning on saying nearly the same thing to her since she had helped him come up with the plan. Now, however, he couldn't say anything; her comment had rendered him speechless. The praise from the others had been nice, but hearing something like that from Tabitha was different, better. Hearing it from Tabitha seemed somehow more important, and though it was basically the same as what the others had said, it made Jim a hundred times happier to hear it from her.

Jim smiled and did the only thing that seemed right - he kissed her. She was a bit startled by the suddenness of it, but she quickly adjusted and returned it passionately. Her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist, they were enthralled, captivated by the moment. When he felt her smile into the kiss, he simply smiled back.

Everyone was distracted by the young couple's romance; no one noticed a certain pirate silently slip away…

Jim and Tabitha pulled apart a moment later, each sporting a huge grin.

"Aww, that was so cute," B.E.N. commented. The couple turned around swiftly, suddenly remembering that they weren't the only one's there. Tabitha blushed a little, but Jim just laughed.

Then, his expression changed as he surveyed the deck with a confused expression.

"Jim?" Tabitha questioned.

"… I'll be back."

"Oh, okay," she said confusedly as she watched him head down the stairs.

The rest of the group had dispersed too, leaving her alone on the deck. She walked to the edge and stared out at the space port. It felt good to know they would be back on land soon. She took a deep breath, the cool air helping to calm her rapid heart beat. She smiled to herself, realizing just how lucky she was.

She quickly grew impatient waiting for Jim and decided to follow him. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could faintly hear the whispers of a conversation. She followed them down to the longboat dock where she found Jim talking to Silver.

"…we just a' soon avoid prison. Li'l Morphy here, he's… h-he's a free spirit! Bein' in a cage… it'd break 'is heart."

Tabitha watched them from the shadows. Jim appeared to be considering the pirate's request. Silver gave a pleading smile, and with a grin, Jim opened the hatch and untied their last boat, granting the pirate freedom. Silver gasped in appreciation.

"What say ya' ship out wit' us lad!"

"Ship out with us!" Morph formed into a hat matching Silver's and placed himself on Jim's head.

"You an' me, Hawkins an' Silver – full o' ourselves an' no ties to anyone! Well… 'cept Tabby, o' course. She'd be comin' too," Silver suggested.

Tabitha grinned at the proposition.

"You know…when I got on this boat, I would have taken you up on that offer in a second," Jim replied as he tickled the hat until it turned back into the pink blob. "But, uh, I met this old cyborg, and he taught me that I could chart my own course… that's what I'm going to do."

Silver smiled down at Jim. "An' what do ya see... o' tha' pal o' yours?"

Jim looked away from the hatch, back to Silver. "A future."

"Why, look at ya – glowin' like a solar fire," Silver chuckled as the boy stared up admiringly at him. "Yer' something special, Jim… yer gonna rattle the stars, you are."

Silver held out his arms, and Jim embraced the man who'd gone from supervisor, to mentor, to arch enemy, to rescuer, and eventually... father figure. Jim owed his life to Silver, and not just because he saved him on Treasure Planet. Silver had helped him stop being so apathetic and showed him everything that he had the potential to be; Silver helped Jim find out who he was. They'd only known each other a few weeks, but, just like he and Tabitha, they'd developed a special bond that neither had had before. The moment was poignant for all involved, but no one questioned the goodbye - they knew this was how it had to be.

"Ahem," Silver pulled Jim back. "Got a bit o' grease in this cyborg eye o' mine…"

He cleared his throat as he turned his back and wiped away tears that were very real, no matter how much he denied it, and Jim did the same. A small sob from the entrance made them both tense up and turn around, but they softened at the sight of the girl.

"You boys are so stupid!" Tabitha said through tears of her own as she finally walked forward to join them.

"Tabby!" Silver exclaimed.

"You didn't think you could get away without saying goodbye to me, did you?" she managed a small smile.

"'Course not, lass," Silver replied as he bent down to her level and held out his arms again to her.

"I'm really going to miss you, Silver," Tabitha cried as she hugged him tightly, answering the question of whether she would go with him before it could be asked. It didn't surprise Silver; he'd already assumed she'd stay with Jim.

"Aye, lass, I'll miss ya too."

Silver didn't pull away from her as quick as he had with Jim. He had been a father figure to both of them, but it wasn't the same with Tabitha: the relationship between a father and daughter is naturally quite different from that of a father and son. Silver had been a mentor and a role model to Jim, but a guardian and a leader to Tabitha. Silver had practically adopted her when she had no one else to turn to. Besides, he'd known Jim only a few weeks; he'd known Tabitha almost six years. So while their goodbyes had a sentimental value that was similar, it was somehow still completely opposite.

"Blast ya two lovebirds, makin' me go soft," Silver kid as he finally released her and wiped away more tears.

Tabitha stepped back to stand next to Jim, who took her hand and laced his fingers through it. Silver shook his head at them.

"I swear the two o' ya are a match made in heaven."

The couple exchanged charmed glances. Morph whimpered and burst into tears, forming into a puddle in Jim's hands.

"Aw, hey, Morph, I'll see you around. Okay?"

"See you around," Morph chirped, rubbing affectionately against Jim's face one last time.

"Goodbye Morph," Tabitha said.

"Goodbye," Morph said sadly, tugging on her hair before flying over to Silver.

Silver observed Morph's reaction, then put on a stern façade. "Morphy – I gotta job fer ya. I need ya to keep an eye on these here _pups_... will ya do me tha' li'l favor?"

"Aye-aye, Cap'n," Morph saluted as he chirped in his own "language". He nuzzled Silver lovingly then zoomed over to the two teenagers, who looked up at Silver with elated shock.

Silver started to step into the boat, but hesitated and turned back to Jim.

"Take care o' her," he asked, nodding to Tabitha.

"You know I will," Jim replied, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. For once, Tabitha didn't interject and say that she could take care of herself. They just wanted her to always be safe, and now she sincerely appreciated that.

Silver climbed into the boat and it started to descend.

"Oh, an' one more thing," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins and jewels, tossing them up to Jim, whose eyes widened significantly at the sight. "It's fer yer dear mother, to rebuild tha' inn o' hers."

"Silver…" Tabitha marveled at his generosity. He grinned up at the two.

"Stay out of trouble, you old scalawag," Jim said, just a hint of melancholy showing through his voice.

"Why, Jimbo lad, when 'ave I ever done ot'er wise?" Silver laughed heartily as the longboat dropped, the sails expanded, and the boat shot off allowing the infamous, yet soft-hearted, pirate to make his escape.

"Goodbye, Silver," Tabitha whispered after him.

She leaned her head against Jim's shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They stood staring out of the hatch for a while, lost in thought. Tabitha didn't think it was possible to miss someone this much so quickly, and she was not anticipating it getting worse as time went on.

"You okay?" Jim questioned.

She sat up and nodded, still looking out of the hatch. "Yeah, as okay as I can be for now."

"Don't worry - we're going to see him again," Jim promised as started to pull her back up to the deck.

"How do you know?"

"Well... I don't. I just have the feeling we haven't seen the last of John Silver."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**--Tabitha's POV--**

**Dear Diary,  
Long time no see! Normally, I would try to write down what's been going on, but I'm pretty sure I won't forget any of this. To sum up briefly: I conquered fears, experienced a supernova, had my first kiss (and second and third, come to think of it), discovered Treasure Planet, found out Silver was a pirate when he mutinied the voyage, had a fight with Jim, had a fight with Silver, apologized, had a fair share of near-death-experiences, witnessed what was nothing short of a miracle, and said farewell. Basically, my life has changed completely. I guess I was right when I guessed that this trip was going to be exciting.  
I already miss Silver more than I've missed anyone ever before, except maybe my parents. But I missed my parents in a different way; I missed my parents because they were my parents and I was raised and loved by them. Missing Silver is like missing a part of me. It feels like I've lost my best friend and my father all at once, and I can only imagine that the feeling will get worse before it gets better. I spent almost 6 years with him, so it's going to be weird not having him around. The worst part is that I can't even stay in touch (on-the-run criminals don't usually leave forwarding addresses).  
The good news? We don't have to spend another 6 weeks on this ship. We'll be docking at Crescentia any minute now. I typically love the journey home, but I'm just ready to get off this boat. It's got too many bittersweet memories now. I know that on any other ship, I'll still love traveling as much as I always do (though it will be different without the guidance of Silver) but for now, I want a break.  
**

**  
**I closed my diary and tossed it into my bag on top of my dirty clothes and pulled the draw string tight before tossing it over my shoulder. I picked up my guitar case in my other hand and turned around just in time to see Jim descending the steps.

"Oh hey. Are you packed?" he said, picking up his own bag.

"Yeah, I just finished."

"Good timing. We're docking right now," Jim informed me as he picked up his own bag. "Hey listen, I, um, never got the chance to thank you... for saving my life."

"Oh. No problem. I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't forced me to get over my fear of heights."

He gave a small laugh and headed back to the steps, but I didn't move yet. I was surveying the room one last time.

"You are okay, aren't you?" Jim asked, suddenly right beside me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled. "It's just... a lot to handle all at once."

I was unexpectedly pulled into a hug, so I returned it, guessing that Jim probably needed it as much as I did right now. It had been a long couple of days, I knew we were going through similar sort of things, and it felt incredible to feel that kind of connection with someone.

"Come on," I said, trying to shake off the gloom. "I'm ready to get off this boat!"

"Agreed," Jim laughed. "I'll race you."

"Okay! On your mark, get - "

"Go!" he shouted as he launched himself up the stairs.

"Cheater!" I shouted after him. I started to scramble up to the deck, but about half way up the steps, I slipped and fell. I chuckled at my clumsiness and decided not to get up, not yet at least.

Jim must have noticed I hadn't followed him up because a few seconds later he came back and found me lying on the steps.

"Ow," I joked as he peered over me with a skeptical look on his face.

"You fall down too much," he said as he pulled me back to my feet.

"You're probably right, but - " I dashed the rest of the way up the stairs. "I win!"

"Hey, you tricked me!"

"Well now you know how I felt on the longboat ride!"

"Oh yeah?" he grinned mischievously. Then he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Jim! Jim, put me down!" I squealed through laughter. I tried to fight back, but he only laughed harder. After a few minutes of hilarious struggling, he put me down. "Thanks a lot," I said as I tried brushed my bangs out of my face and tried to pull my hair back up.

"Oh, sorry, did I mess up your hair?" he asked sarcastically.

I glared at him for a second, then reached forward and ruffled his hair.

"Hey!" he protested.

"We're even."

"Fine," he sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it back out and we headed over to the edge of the ship and scanned over the crowds. "Hey, there's my mom."

He rushed down the ramp and out into the crowd. I watched him walk up to a woman about the same height as him, with brown hair held up in a bonnet. He grabbed her shoulder from behind and she jerked around. He threw his arms around her, and she happily returned the embrace. She was practically glowing; after all, this was the first time she'd seen Jim's new attitude, and she was obviously very pleased with it. I smiled at first, but then I realized something that sobered me up.

I had to figure out where to go. I hadn't even begun to think about it. Now that Silver wasn't around, I was back to being on my own. I was right back at square one, the same place I was at when Silver saved me all those years ago – in need of a job and a place to live. Immediately, I decided I was staying on Montressor. It was as good as anywhere else to work, and I'd be able to stay close to Jim.

Then I realized that for the first time in my life, I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to be independent, I wanted to be with someone. When I was 10, I had been excited by the prospect of making my own way in the world, but now I wanted nothing more than familiar faces and security.

"Well, Tabitha, where are you headed to now?" Dr. Doppler asked me. I turned around to see him and the Captain together.

"Oh... I-I'm not really sure actually."

"Where will you be staying?" Captain Amelia asked.

"Well, I…um... I don't – "

"With me, of course."

I wheeled around to see Jim back on the deck.

"That's okay with you, right Doc?"

Dr. Doppler smiled. "Of course it is, Jim. You are all welcome to stay with me for as long as you need to."

Jim smiled and turned back to see me still gaping at him.

"That's okay, right? I mean I just thought since you didn't have anywhere else to go, you would want to... you do want to stay with me, don't you?"

"Of course," I said as I stepped forward, filling the gap between us. "Where would I be without you?"

Smiling, hand in hand, we walked off the boat, thrilled to be together, and ready to take on the universe.

* * *

**And they lived happily ever after.**

***+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+***

**Okay, I know the story's "technically" over, but you have to go to the next chapter and read it.  
No, seriously, you really do. There is exciting news :)  
**

**Go. Right now.**

**Why are you still here?! Click on the little arrow to go to the next chapter already!!**


	17. Surprise! An Author Note

**Hello Everyone!**

**I just had a few things I wanted to say. First off, I'd like to thank you all for reading my story and leaving comments and reviewing. It makes my day when I come home from school and I see more comments or views or something. Thank you so very, very much!**

**Second, I have some very news that I hope you will all be excited to hear...**

**The stories not over!**

**That's right folks! Tabitha and Jim have more to come. **

**Even though I've pretty much decided I'm continuing the story, I'd like to hear your comments on whether you think I should or not. I don't want to turn into Disney and start making sequels where they don't need to be (*coughcough* Hunchback of Notre Dame, Atlantis, Cinderella... the list goes on...) But I do already have a basic story line set up for the next part. I won't give away too much, but it revolves around Tabitha's past. And yes, all your favorite characters will be back (except maybe the Doppler's; they'll probably have their hands full with kids and stuff. I'm sure they'll make an appearance, but they may not be main characters this time). I've also come up with a few things that I'd like to do one shots on, but again with the sequel problem... so I'll just have to wait and see on those.**

**Third, I took the Mary-Sue Litmus Test, and Tabitha is a Mary-Sue. A _definite_ Mary-Sue, actually. I was a little surprised, I knew she was a little bit of one because she was supposed to be, but I didn't think it was that bad. It's not is it? What do you guys think? I'm not going to change her because I like how she is, but I'd at least like to know how you feel about her too.**

**Lastly, I wanted to give some personal thank you's/responses to reviews that have been left.**

**Black-Cat-2095, Jim fan, Rachel eckstein, Sam, Jenny, amanda, Isabelle: Thank you so much for your reviews! Like I said earlier, I really, really appreciate them! I cannot say thank you enough! Your support means the world to me!**

**xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx: I don't mind that you forgot to review if it's because you got caught up in my story! That's awesome! I hoped you like the ending :) I'm glad you like Tabby, and I'm glad you picked up on the intensity: I've been really trying to portray that. Thank you!!**

**23jk: You're one of the reviewers that's been around since the beginning, and once again, Thank you a hundred times over! Your support is amazing!  
**

**garrenn: You too have been around since the beginning. You've been incredibly responsive and helpful with the story, and I really appreciate it. I always count on you for honest, detailed feedback, and you always provide. Not to mention the illustrations! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

**Everyone should check out the illustration(s): www. garrenn. deviantart. com  
**

**So as always, I'm requesting feedback. I'd appreciate your opinions on the sequel, Tabitha, anything else.**

**Have I said thank you yet? Just to be on the safe side: Thank you!  
-Emily**


	18. 3 Years Later: A New Beginning

**Yay! The beginning of the second part of the story.**

**I've decided to keep it under the same story listing even though it's technically a different story.  
It's easier that way, and I couldn't think of another title that I liked XD**

**Keep in mind that this is all me - no basic plot lines for me to follow this time - so I hope you all like it!**

**Ok, here we go!**

* * *

**  
3 Years Later**

Tabitha still couldn't believe it – they had graduated.

It had been almost a week, but the fact that she was now a graduate, an adult, was a concept that she could hardly grasp.

The graduation ceremony had been a joyous occasion for everyone. Mrs. Hawkins had cried, of course, when Jim got his honors diploma. Tabitha had been announced Valedictorian of the Interstellar Academy of Medicine (one of the divisions of the Academy), and Mrs. Hawkins had cried again.

Mrs. Hawkins had grown very close to Tabitha in the 3 years since the Treasure Planet voyage. Tabitha had lived with them, and in return for their hospitality, she helped Mrs. Hawkins out as much as she possibly could. They spent a lot of time working together, slowly becoming more acquainted with each other, and now Tabitha was practically a member of their family.

Like most graduates, Tabitha and Jim were looking forward to taking a break, slacking off, and relaxing after graduation, but they could not have had worse timing. The Benbow Inn was finally re-opening, so they'd spent nearly every waking hour since their graduation helping Mrs. Hawkins prepare. Each day had ended with them at a level of exhaustion that rivaled what they had felt at the end of a long day spent doing chores for Silver on the R.L.S. Legacy.

Tabitha smiled at the memory of the voyage. It seemed like only yesterday Silver had introduced her to Jim in the galley... and now they were amazingly still together. Well, at least it was amazing to her, to think that the first boyfriend she ever had she had managed to keep for over 3 years. They'd had their fair share of ups and downs, as any couple would, but the point was it didn't break them. She had no idea why she was so lucky, and that's what amazed her.

But there was also a certain sadness that accompanied that memory – Silver. She and Jim hadn't heard anything from him since they'd seen him take off in the longboat. For a while, it seemed as if every law enforcement officer in the Etherium was looking for him, but none ever found him; the chase had slowly dwindled down and now he was all but forgotten by law enforcement. Half of her wanted to be angry that he hadn't kept in touch, but the other half understood how risky it was for him to try to communicate with anyone. Still, she wished she at least knew something of his whereabouts, or when she would ever get to see him again...

She sighed as she finished brushing her teeth and pulled her hair down from the ponytail it was in to go to sleep. She glanced in the mirror and adjusted the t-shirt and boxers she had adopted from Jim. She had recently discovered how much she enjoyed wearing his clothes; they were always comfortable and she loved how they always managed to smell like him, no matter how washed or worn they were.

She stepped out of the bathroom, but hadn't taken two steps towards her bedroom when a favorable whistle from behind her at the top of the stairs made her jump and turn around.

"Well, well. What are you wearing?"

It was Jim.

"Oh. I-I borrowed some of your clothes," Tabitha stuttered.

"I can see that. Why?"

"Well, they're comfortable... and…" she looked up to see Jim leaning against the banister at the top of the stairs with his arms crossed as a sly smirk played at his mouth. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You should start wearing these more often," he said as he walked over to her. "You look… hot."

Tabitha blushed crimson as Jim filled the gap between them and laughed.

"What?" she asked him.

"You're blushing."

The mention of her blushing only made her do so more, so she placed her sleeve-covered hands over her cheeks to hide it.

"No, don't cover it up," he said as he pulled her hands away and kissed her.

Her heart went into tachycardia, just as it always did. This was yet another reason she loved being with Jim: it still excited her as much as it had in the very beginning.

He pulled her body flush against his, and she decided to draw the line.

"Jim, stop! Your mom's home!"

"And?" he smirked as leaned down to kiss her again, but she put up a finger to his lips to stop him.

"No," she said, now wearing her own smirk. "We need to go to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow!"

"You are such a tease," Jim joked as he stepped back just slightly from her.

"Am not!" Tabitha pretended to be offended.

"Are too!" he said leaning his head slightly closer.

"Am not!"

"Are too!" Closer...

"Am – "

When she was distracted and least expecting it, he kissed her again. This time she gave up on stopping it.

"I win," he smirked again as he pulled back a minute later.

"Go to bed!" she laughed, pushing him towards his room as she headed towards her own.

"Goodnight, Tabitha," he said from his doorway, shooting her that heart-melting smile.

"Goodnight, Jim."

0o0o0o0o0o0

The next day, Jim and Tabitha had been put to work making the food for the Benbow's grand opening that night. They'd been working diligently the entire morning when there was a short knock at the door, followed by a crowd of people coming into the kitchen.

"Hello, boys," Mrs. Hawkins said to the group of Jim and Tabitha's friends from the academy that had just arrived: Cason, the party boy of the group, Landon, the natural leader, Theodore, the quiet and reserved one, August, Theo's twin and the one who knew _everything_, and Graham, the organizer and Jim's best friend. As a group, they made quite a team (as they had been told by their Academy superiors whenever they were caught in their latest "adventure").

"What are you all doing here?" Tabitha asked.

"Waiting for our SAKE results," Cason said as he headed over to the counter and began trying to sample the food's for tonight, only to be slapped away by Tabitha.

The SAKE, or Stellar Academia Knowledge Evaluation, was an aptitude test that every graduate had the opportunity to take. The better you did, the higher up in the ranks you got to begin your career. Graduates were normally hired into the category that was a half-step above the manual laborers; they were usually in charge of things like navigational directions and the like. If you did well on the SAKE test, you had the opportunity to begin as a first mate, or possibly even higher, though that was incredibly rare. Since Tabitha had been working in the medical field to be a ship doctor, she didn't have any need to take it, but she had been almost as anxious as Jim to see his results.

"We had them all delivered here so that we could all get them at the same time," Graham explained as the group, joined by Jim, took their seats around the kitchen table.

"Rylee's coming over in a little while, too," Mrs. Hawkins informed Tabitha.

Rylee was Tabitha's best friend, and one of the few girls from the Academy that she could actually stand. They were complete opposites: Tabitha was the same adventurous, independent tomboy she had always been, while Rylee was the definition of "girl" - prim, proper, and stunningly beautiful. Not that Tabitha wasn't pretty, but Rylee was the stereotypical definition of "beautiful" - long blonde curly hair, naturally rosy cheeks, bright green eyes, a perfect figure… you get the idea. It may seem like an odd pairing, but they'd been inseparable since the first day they met at school.

"Why? She didn't take the SAKE either," Tabitha asked.

"We have to go pick up your dress for tonight, remember?"

The boys all "ooh"-ed and laughed from their spots at the table.

"Yeah, that'll be interesting – seeing Tabitha in a dress," August pointed out.

"I'll bet she finds someway to get out of wearing it," Theodore countered.

"I'll take that bet!" Cason agreed.

"I myself would just like to be there for the actual picking out of the dress," Graham stated.

"I bet she faints again," Landon teased.

"Oh, _I'll_ take that bet," Jim agreed.

"Thanks, guys. You're vote of confidence is overwhelming," Tabitha rolled her eyes.

"It won't be that bad Tabitha. You just pick out a dress, then you and Rylee get ready – dress, hair, makeup. That's it," Mrs. Hawkins explained as if it was no big deal. Tabitha looked up at her skeptically and she sighed. "Okay, I know it's not really your thing, but it's just one night."

"I know. I'll do it," Tabitha sighed.

"It'll be fun. I promise," Mrs. Hawkins consoled. Tabitha sighed and went to take her seat at the table.

"So… Rylee's coming over?" Cason tried to nonchalantly ask, but it his tone failed to fool the rest of the group. They dramatically rolled their eyes and sighed in exasperation.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Just ask her out already!" they all said in unison.

Cason stared at them in shock for a minute, and then they all burst into a fit of laughter.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door, and the room went silent. They sat their tensely for a second before August finally interrupted.

"They're here."

They stood up hastily and rushed to the door, tripping over and fighting each other to be the first one their. Jim won and flung the door open excitedly, much to the surprise of the startled mail carrier.

"Um, h-hello. I have the SAKE results for a… Mr. James P. Hawkins - ," the deliverer said as he reviewed the envelope.

"That's me," said Jim, grabbing the letter and tearing into it while the rest of the boys asked the delivery man to find theirs too.

Jim's eyes scanned the note as one by one the rest of them got their notes and began reading them. Finally, Jim stopped and looked up.

"Well? What's it say?" Tabitha asked impatiently.

"I have to go to a meeting," Jim sighed.

"What?" Mrs. Hawkins said.

"Apparently, they don't tell you in the letter how well you did," August explained. "It just tells you that you did well and that there's a meeting tonight where you will get your full results and uniforms."

"Tonight?" Mrs. Hawkins asked, snatching the note from Jim and reading it for herself.

"It's before the party, mom. We should have time to go and get back before it starts," Jim told her.

"So you have to wait until tonight to know how well you did on the test?" Tabitha asked in frustration.

Jim laughed. "You look more upset about that than me. It's only a few more hours. We'll know soon enough."

0o0o0o0o0o0

"Why can't we just wear our uniforms like the boys?"Tabitha continued to complain about having to wear a dress.

"Because you're a girl," Rylee told her from her place at the vanity where she was fixing her hair for the umpteenth time.

"That's a stupid reason," Tabitha responded. "And stop being so obsessive! Your hair looked fine the first time."

"I am not _obsessive_, I am a perfectionist. There is a difference." Tabitha rolled her eyes and Rylee wheeled around to face her. "Oh, come on, Tabitha. You said yourself that you liked the dress when you tried it on. Stop being such a baby about it!"

There was a knock at the door and Mrs. Hawkins came into the room wearing a new lavender dress with her hair curled and pulled up neatly - a drastic change from her everyday old, plain, work dress and the messy-but-easy hairstyle she used.

"It's about time to – Tabitha! You still aren't dressed?"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Hawkins, I'll make sure she's ready in time," Rylee told her.

"Well hurry, you two. It shouldn't be long before we get started."

"Are the boys back yet?" Tabitha asked.

"No," Mrs. Hawkins sighed. "I hope they hurry up. Jim especially should be here for this; it was _his_ portion of the treasure that paid for it."

Tabitha bit her lip nervously. Nobody had ever told her that what Jim had brought home was _all_ of the treasure, not just his portion. In fact, nobody had ever told her the real story of the voyage. As far as Mrs. Hawkins knew, there had been no supernova, no pirates, no mutiny, and no Silver; the only thing they'd kept the same was the booby trap of Treasure Planet to avoid suspicion (Who's ever heard of a cruise going perfectly, without one hitch whatsoever?), and even that they'd downplayed significantly.

Suddenly, a tiny pink blob zipped into the bedroom and excitedly flew over to Tabitha.

"Morph! Hey buddy, how have you been?" Tabitha asked as he nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

"Hey buddy!" Morph repeated.

"The Doppler's just returned him and B.E.N." Mrs. Hawkins explained. She had sent them away for the past week to make the last minute preparations for tonight easier on everybody; she knew that most of the time, they were only trying to help, but they weren't always very good at it.

Someone shouted for Mrs. Hawkins from downstairs, telling her that the reporters were here.

"Okay, girls, I have to go. Get ready and get down here!"

Tabitha sighed reluctantly and got up to put on her dress. It was true, she really did like the one she'd picked out. When she had it on, she looked… beautiful. She _felt_ beautiful. The seamless dress was a pale periwinkle color, with off the shoulder straps, a fitted top, and a flowing bottom. It looked as if it was made for her, clinging to every curve perfectly, accentuating how feminine her body looked, a fact that was usually disguised by the everyday baggier clothes she wore. It was simple, elegant, and looked natural on Tabitha, as if this was the sort of thing she wore all the time.

Once she had it on, she looked up to see Rylee staring at her as if she'd never seen her before. "What? Stop looking at me like that!"

"You look so pretty, Tabitha! Honestly, I don't know why you don't wear stuff like this more often," Rylee fawned over her friend.

"Because I'm not gorgeous like you. And how the heck am I supposed to do anything in this dress besides walk and dance? I can hardly even breathe."

Rylee laughed. "First of all, you _are_ gorgeous, and second, you complain too much! Come here!"

Tabitha groaned, but didn't try to fight as she was pulled into the chair in front of the makeup table. Once Rylee picked you to be her protege, you were stuck. Half an hour of "open your eyes", "close your eyes", "turn your head", "stop fidgeting so much!", and "sit up straight!" later, she announced she was finished and spun Tabitha around so she could see herself.

Tabitha gasped at the reflection; she didn't even look like herself. Well, she did, but she looked like a flawless version of herself. The makeup Rylee had chosen framed her features amazingly well without looking like she was actually wearing a lot of makeup. Her hair was loosely curled and had been left down except for a small piece from each side of her face in the front that had been pulled back and fastened with a small silver clip ornately decorated with an aquamarine flower.

"Well? What do you think?" Rylee asked.

"Rylee… what… you… whoa."

"You're welcome."

Tabitha laughed and turned around to her friend. "Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Probably showed up to the party in those raggedy pants and one of Jim's old t-shirts."

"Probably, and then Jim's mother would have killed me," Tabitha laughed. "By the way, you look stunning."

"You think so?" Rylee spun around to model her dress. It was emerald green and fitted on the top while flowing on the bottom, like Tabitha's. Rylee's had straps though and a large black ribbon around the waist that tied into a bow at the back.

"Yes. And I think Cason will too," Tabitha smirked.

Rylee opened her mouth in offense. "Well… a-and? I-I don't care if he does." Tabitha cast her a skeptical look and she broke her serious expression into a smile. "You really think he will?"

The girls laughed when there was knock on the door – Mrs. Hawkins again.

"Come on, you two! Everyone's here!"

"The boys are back?" asked Rylee.

"All of them except Jim."

"_Except_ Jim?" Tabitha asked, slightly concerned.

"Yes. The boys said that when they got to the meeting they were separated individually, so they don't know where he ended up or when he'll be here," Mrs. Hawkins explained, but she continued upon seeing the worried look on Tabitha's face. "Don't worry. They said he was the last of the group to go back, so I'm sure he'll be here any minute."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Tabitha sighed.

"What ranks did the others get?" Rylee asked as they walked out of the bedroom and down the hall towards the steps.

"I didn't ask, but they were all wearing navy blue uniforms. What is that? I know it's not captain; is it first mate?"

"Yes ma'am. Oh, good for them! I'll bet they're so proud," Rylee said.

Something unexpectedly triggered Tabitha's memory and she stopped.

"What is it?" Mrs. Hawkins asked, giving her a worried look.

"Nothing. I'll be right back," Tabitha responded as she turned and headed back to the bedroom. She headed to her dresser and went through all of her drawers, searching for something. She finally found it in the last one – the pocket watch necklace. Jewelry wasn't allowed at the Academy, so she hadn't been able to wear it much since she started, but tonight was special and she felt like she needed to have it. She tucked it down inside the front of her dress, feeling slightly comforted by its presence, as if her parents was there with her, just like they should be.

Tabitha walked back out and down the hallway towards the stairs. From the top of them, she could see the whole room. It wasn't a huge party, but it was bigger than anything the Benbow had seen before. There were all the old regulars, the construction workers who'd built it, all six of the Doppler's, and Rylee and the boys of course. B.E.N. was walking around serving cake to everyone, while Morph buzzed about, enjoying the attention he received from everyone who hadn't seen him before.

Tabitha smiled to herself and took a couple of steps down, when suddenly the door was flung open by two RoboCops. Everyone turned around with a gasp, and then the room went silent. Time seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Tabitha heart felt like it had stopped; she remembered Jim telling her that he had gotten in trouble with the law before... but surely that's not what happened, why he was late. That had been a long time ago.

The two officers stepped to the sides, revealing Jim, but not in the way that Tabitha had originally thought: they were _presenting_ him.

Unlike all the other boys, he was wearing a white uniform – a captain's uniform.

A cheer went up and several people rushed forward to greet him. He shook the hands of the officers who in turn saluted him. Morph transformed into a badge and pinned himself onto Jim's uniform, before turning back to his normal state and excitedly licking Jim's face. Jim laughed and pushed the blob away playfully, then turned to his friends.

"Wow!"

"Congratulations!"

"I always knew you'd make captain!"

"Yeah, Congratulations Jim!"

"You always did know how to make an entrance!"

Jim laughed and thanked them all, but didn't actually seem to be paying much attention to their compliments. He glanced around the room, searching for the one person he most wanted to see. His eyes quickly found her standing at the top of the staircase, looking down at him completely stunned. Jim felt his heart skip several full beats at the sight of Tabitha; she looked… breathtaking. Nothing drastic had been changed about her – she had a dress on, her hair was styled a little differently, and she appeared to have some makeup on – but the overall effect was overwhelming. Jim didn't realize he was gaping at her until he saw her blush and look down. He realized that everyone had seen him staring at her and now they were all staring at her too, and she was embarrassed by the attention. He shook away his stupefied shock and rushed up the steps to her.

"Jim – "

"Tabitha – "

"You are – "

"You look – "

"Very handsome."

"Beautiful."

They stood there for a second, then laughed nervously. Jim offered his arm to her and she wrapped hers around his and together they descended down the steps. When they reached the bottom, Mrs. Hawkins rushed over and threw her arms around her son.

"Oh, Jim! Congratulations! I always knew you… that you..." she stopped as tear started to well up in her eyes.

"Mom, stop. Don't cry," he said as he hugged her back. Someone started to play music and he pulled her out onto the floor. "Come on. I'll dance with you."

It was apparent that Jim's offer made her day, and she excitedly joined him on the floor. Tabitha clapped her hands in time to the beat as she watched them dance through the rows of people. Jim twirled his mother around at the end and Dr. Doppler spun Amelia up next, dipping her low to the ground. Tabitha kept watching as other couples took their turns until the song ended and everyone applauded until another up-beat song began.

Tabitha's vision was suddenly interrupted by somebody covering her eyes with their hands. She smiled and turned around to face Jim.

"Congratulations, Jim," she hugged him. "I'm so proud of you. I know how much this must mean to you."

"Yeah... I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I'm still waiting to wake up and find out that I only dreamed the whole thing," he rubbed his neck sheepishly.

Tabitha stood on her toes and kissed him. "Still think you're dreaming?"

Jim smirked at her. "I'm not sure. Maybe you should do it again, just in case."

She laughed, but kissed him again. When they separated, Jim smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, let's dance," he said as he tried to pull her out.

"What?! No!" she said, locking her legs in refusal to be pulled out.

He turned around to face her, looking slightly disappointed. "Why not?"

"I... I-I can't."

He grinned again. "Well, you also told me you couldn't sing, and that was a lie, so I'm betting you can dance too."

"Jim! No, really. I don't – "

But he ignored her and pulled her out anyway.

"Jim, I… I don't know how," Tabitha looked extremely embarrassed.

"Don't worry, it's easy, and I'm going to lead you. Look – "

Jim lead her, starting off with the basics of just stepping in time to the music before building up to more complicated steps like spinning. She had been right though about dancing not being her forte; just when she'd have the pattern down, she'd miss a step and get out of sync again, though he expected this was more because of her nervousness than lack of ability.

"You were right. You really can't dance," Jim teased. Tabitha abruptly stopped moving and let go of him, looking slightly hurt and angry. "Tabitha, I'm only joking! Come on, you're over-thinking it. Just move with the music…"

He pulled her back into motion, and after a minute, she finally relaxed and got into it. Jim spun her a few times and each time she fell perfectly back into sync.

"See? I told you so."

Tabitha grinned, then felt someone tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Graham.

"Graham! Hey, congratulations!" she said as she embraced her friend.

"Thanks!" he said as he hugged her back. Then he turned to Jim and addressed him formally. "I was wondering... May I cut in?".

Jim stepped back, bowing slightly to Tabitha who curtsied and picked back up with Graham. He walked over to the edge of the group and began clapping absentmindedly as he watched Tabitha dance with Graham, then Landon, then August... all of the guys (except Cason, who apparently was determined to spend the whole night dancing with Rylee) seemed insistent on dancing with her. Tabitha was the belle of the ball, and she seemed uncharacteristically happy with the attention, laughing as she spun from one partner to the next.

Jim smiled at her then stopped as a thought suddenly came to him. He looked up out of the window… and couldn't help wondering where Silver was. He should be here – to see them graduate, to see Tabitha dancing so elegantly now, to see Jim as a captain… Jim felt a lot of this was owed to him. As he looked up at the sky, he would have sworn that Silver was right there, watching over them...

He was drawn away from his thoughts when somebody grabbed his hand.

"I miss him too."

Jim turned to see Tabitha standing next to him, looking up to the sky too. He wondered if it was simply that easy to read his emotions, or if she felt like Silver was watching over them too...

* * *

**So, how'd you like it so far?**

**I know it's kind of skips in the first couple of paragraph's, but there was some basic info I needed to get out of the way.  
Other than that though, I think I'm happy with it.**

**Oh, the new OC's! I'm really excited about them!**

**So... reviews?  
Was this what you were expecting? Not at all? Hate it? Love it?  
I would appreciate your comments :)**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Comments+**

NeverTooLate03: Wow, thank you!

**Horsygirl 96: The Benbow part is here! I'd planned to make it the start of this story all along, just because it was a good transition segment. I'm in that same phase right now - where Treasure Planet is the greatest movie ever - so I'm right there with you in that aspect. I'm flattered that you spent so much time reading my story and that you thought it was good enough to stay up until midnight reading! And the song is called Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton (I wish it was an original. I love that song.).**


	19. What is That?

**Yes, it's finally here! The next installment!**

**Thank you so much for your patience, and for all of your reviews.  
To reward you, I have given you an longer-than-usual chapter!**

**I hope you guys enjoy it!**

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

Tap! Tap! Tap!

_What is that noise?_

Tap! Tap! Tap!

_Maybe it will stop…_

Tap! Tap! Tap!

_What the devil_ is_ that?_

Giving up on waiting for the noise to stop or sleeping through it, I opened my eyes and slowly sat up.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

"What is that?" I mumbled to myself. In my still half asleep stage, I did not have the faintest idea where it was coming from. I stretched and pulled on a bathrobe to brace myself against the cold morning air as I got out of bed. I paced the room in a daze, trying to find the disturbance so I could get rid of it and go back to sleep, but by now it had stopped and I couldn't trace it back to its source.

"Oh sure, now that I'm out of bed you decide to stop… couldn't just let me sleep… "

After checking the door, the hallway outside, the closet and drawers around the room, just in case Morph had somehow ended up stuck in one of them (it wouldn't have been the first time), I found what I was looking for on the window.

There, traced out in the fog on the glass, was a message that simply read:  
"Come outside. -J".

I smiled to myself, no longer cranky about being woken up. I raced out of the room and down the hall, excited about… whatever it was he was planning. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I yawned and looked around for a clock to find out exactly what time it was.

_5 a.m. No wonder I'm so tired_. _This is too early to be up even if the party hadn't run late._

I started to head out the door, but curiosity got the best of me. Wondering if I could catch a glimpse of what Jim was planning, I pulled back the curtains from one of the front windows and looked out, only to find another foggy note.

"Just trust me."

I couldn't help but to laugh at how well he knew me before I opened the front door and stepped outside, shivering at the first rush of the frigid early morning air.

I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed my arms to get warm as I looked around for Jim. I quickly spotted him sailing on his solar surfer, twisting and spinning through the still purple sky. When he reached a peak altitude, he retracted the sail and let himself freefall. I always hated when he did that. It was scary to watch him fall like that, and it made me paranoid that something bad would happen. As always, he got as close to the ground as possible and, just when I was sure he was going to crash, the sail sprung back up, and he was once again flying parallel to the ground. I breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed me and began to fly back toward the inn.

"It's dark," I stated as he turned off the board and stepped down in front of me.

"Yeah, but I left it charging by a lamp all night so - "

"No, I'm not talking about your surfer. If there is anything you should know about me by now, it's that I do not like cold weather, and I am not a morning person. So could you please explain to me why I am out here in the freezing cold before the sun has even risen?"

"I thought you'd have enough sense to put on a jacket," he laughed as he took off his own coat and wrapped it around me. "As for it being morning, that's part of the surprise."

"Surprise?" I asked as I pulled my arms through the sleeves of his coat.

"Yep," he started as he stepped back onto his solar surfer and started it. "We're going for a ride."

He offered his hand out to me, apparently seeing nothing wrong with his idea. I, on the other hand, had several problems with this.

"Ah… no."

"Why? Are you scared?" he challenged

"Hey, it's a rational fear."

"Not as long as I'm here. If I'm with you, you're safe," he concluded as he held out his hand again. I looked up skeptically at him, and he sighed. "Okay, remember when we went out in the longboats? That's just like this. You trusted me then, and you ended up getting over your fear of heights. Just trust me; I _promise_ you won't regret it."

_He's right. _But just because he was didn't mean I was anymore inclined to get on that thing. Although I'd gotten over my phobia of heights, I didn't necessarily enjoy them now; combine that with the speed and the dexterity you needed to have to balance, and I wasn't feeling too confident.

Jim interrupted my thought process. "You know, you did promise me that you would ride it once we graduated."

_Oh yeah…_ I had done that, hadn't I? I'd been trying to put off riding it as long as possible… but I guess the moment was finally here and I really had no way to get out of it. "Okay, fine, I'll go, _but_ we're setting some ground rules before we do."

Jim rolled his eyes, and sighed impatiently. "What?"

"No spins, twists, high speeds, sudden drops... or any other crazy stunts you're going to try to pull."

"Alright, fine," he relented as he pulled me onto the board. Under his breath he mumbled, "We might as well just walk…"

I elbowed him, but he just grinned and positioned himself behind me so that I was on the board between him and the sail. "You ready?"

"Would it matter if I wasn't?"

"Probably not," he laughed as we took off. He was faithful to his word, and kept a steady cruising speed as we sailed over canyons, through gorges, and between rocky mountain tops. It was… fun I guess, but not nearly as thrilling as Jim had described it. A few minutes into the trip, I was already becoming bored - it wasn't very exciting with no speed or twists or anything…

"Hey, Jim? Could we maybe, ah, speed up a little bit?" He looked at me with an expression of surprise mixed with 'I told you so', and I rolled my eyes. "I know, I know, but this is boring."

"I couldn't agree more," he smiled as he began to gradually increase our speed, waiting for me to say when we were going to fast, but I never did. The feeling of freedom was overwhelming; as the wind rushed through my hair and blew at my clothes, I felt rejuvenated, albeit cold, and couldn't help laughing. It was amazing, and I was actually beginning to regret not doing it sooner. Of course, just as I got used to it, Jim began to slow down.

"Here we are," he said as the he brought the board to a halt on top of a plateau.

"Um… where is 'here'?" I asked as I jumped off and surveyed my surroundings – rocks and sky. With a slightly mischievous smile, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the edge of the cliff where a blanket had been spread out. "What is this?"

"Your surprise," he said as he pulled me to sit down next to him on the blanket. I looked out and realized that Jim had found the perfect place to be able to view the surroundings. From there, we could see everything: all of the shadowy gorges yet to be illuminated by the dawns light, the miles between us and the Benbow that we'd just sailed over. It was all amazing in a strange, almost scary way.

"Jim, this is… incredible, but what exactly are we doing up here?"

"Shh, you'll see. Just wait," he told me as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close and stared out at the horizon. Still slightly confused, I leaned my head against him and looked to where he was looking. Very soon, Jim's statement began to be explained.

As the sun peered over the edge of the world, the entire edge of the sky illuminated at once and glowed a bright orange color. The light spread upward to the indigo night sky and the colors changed from yellow to pink to teal, each dissolving gracefully into the other. I was still confused – it was beautiful, but it was just a sunrise.

"Jim – " I began, but before I could ask anything, something else happened.

As the sun rose higher, the light began to reflect off of the rocky surfaces of our surroundings, and the ground appeared to be illuminated from within. I heard myself gasp as the ground went from the ordinary red-brown color to a shiny white, then to an almost silvery color before it finally began to reflect a perfect mirror image of the sky. The pinks and blues and yellows blending against each other made it appear as if we were sitting on the edge of the world, as if there was nothing but the sky around us.

"What…"

"It's from the minerals in the rocks," Jim explained quietly. "When the sun hits the ground just right, this happens."

"It's breathtaking." It was the most amazing thing I'd seen since he'd shown me the shooting stars back on the _Legacy_.

"Yeah…" he sighed contentedly.

I continued to stare at the painted horizon, and slowly became aware that Jim was fidgeting. He kept changing the position of his arm around me, then he began shifting his legs. When he started to rub his hand against his pants leg incessantly, I took it and looked up at him.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice somewhere between amusement and concern.

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah. I'm… fine. Just fine," he smiled. When I cast him a look that told him I was not convinced, he smiled to reassure me. "I'm fine. Really."

"Okay…"

I dropped it, but when I laid my head back on his chest, I realized that, just like that night on the Legacy, his heart was beating a mile a minute. Now, I was starting to become worried: Jim was never this restless unless something was really bothering him.

"Are you sure you're alright? Are you cold or something? Do you want your jacket back?"

"No. No… I'm alright." He released a long, shuddering breath. At that, I turned around completely to face him – he was not 'alright'.

"Okay, what's up?"

He looked at me with shock and almost fear. "N-nothing's up. I just wanted to show you th-the sunrise."

"Uh-huh… so then why is your heart beating that fast? And why can't you sit still? Don't lie - something's wrong. What is it?"

"N-no, it's not… nothing's _wrong_, it's only… just…" he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Jim?" I questioned nervously, my own heart beginning to race from the anxiety about what he could possibly be about to say.

He shifted around so that he was in front of me, then began again more seriously. "Tabitha… we've… we've been going out for a while now, right?"

"If you consider 3 years a while," I half-joked, trying to stay light-hearted.

He forced a smile. "Yeah, um… so…I-I just wanted to…"

He ran his hand through his hair and looked down. I wanted to say something to help, but I didn't know what he needed help with. Why was he acting like this? What was he trying to tell me? Half of me wanted to scream 'Just say it already!', but the other half was frightened that maybe I didn't actually want to hear it… what if it was bad news? My mind raced with possibilities. After what felt like a millennia, he let out a long sigh and looked back up.

"Tabitha, I love you."

My mind went totally blank.

_He loves me_. We'd never said it out loud before, and this was so… sudden. I couldn't make my body do anything. Some part of me knew that I probably looked really stupid, with my eyes bulging and my mouth hanging open, and another part knew I was probably making him really nervous by not returning it, but I couldn't. I _knew_ without a doubt that I loved him too. I'd known for a while – I think I'd always known at some level – but I couldn't actually say the words. I felt paralyzed. I don't know how long I sat there like that, frozen in shock, but I know that neither of us moved until I finally managed to speak.

"I love you too, Jim."

"Oh, thank god," Jim gasped as he slumped forward slightly when he released all the tension he'd been holding. "For a second there I really thought you weren't going to say it."

"No, of course I do! You just surprised me."

"Sorry. It's just that ever since I realized, I've really wanted to tell you."

"And when was that?"

"I kind of... realized it slowly as time went by, but a few months ago, I knew for sure. And now," he took my hand in his. "Looking back, I can't remember not loving you."

"Really?"

He cast me a charming smile and leaned closer so that our faces were only a few centimeters apart.

"Really."

Then we were kissing. It was soft, but passionate. I was overwhelmed by the strangest combination of excitement and peace. Everything finally felt right.

"Wait, Tabitha…" Jim started as he pulled back slowly.

"Yes?" I smiled, partially amused but partially concerned again.

"That's… that's not all I wanted to say." He let out another long, deep sigh. "There's something else. I... I wanted to – "

"What on Montressor is that?"

I hadn't meant to interrupt him, but something in the distance caught my attention.

"What?" He asked. He noticed where I was looking and turned around.

Over Jim's shoulder, I could see a boat approaching the Benbow. No, not just a boat, like the ones that travelers regularly docked there, but a _ship_, a majestic one, similar in all aspects to the R.L.S. _Legacy_.

"Who's is that?" I asked.

"I… I have no idea," Jim said as he stared out at it with a stunned expression. "We never get ships like that here."

"Well let's go check it out!" I grabbed Jim's hand and pulled him up.

"Oh… right," Jim said, shaking his head a little as if to clear it. I grabbed the blanket and hastily rolled it up.

"Ready?" Jim asked as we climbed on. I nodded, not remotely as nervous as I had been before, and we took off again.

Too late I realized that I'd underestimated how difficult holding the blanket would be. Trying to do this one handed wasn't the best idea for a beginner; every little twist and drop was easily doubled in intensity. I thought that I had it under control until we were almost all the way back to the inn. Jim dipped down a little bit lower to the ground, and the slant of the board made me slip just slightly. It caught me of guard and I squealed as I slid backwards.

"Whoa!" Jim shouted as I bumped into him, causing the surfer to jerk. He regained control and then slid one of his arms around my waist to help balance. "You okay?"

My heart was beating a little faster, but I nodded. The arm around me pulled me closer to him, and I didn't know if Jim was doing it on purpose or if he was just trying to make sure I didn't slide anymore, but either way I felt myself face grow warm when our bodies came into contact.

When we arrived back at the inn, we found Jim's mother standing outside the front door watching the ship too. Jim propped his surfer against the wall and we walked over to her.

"Mom – " Jim started, causing her to jump and turn around with a gasp.

"Jim! Tabitha! What are you two doing out here?" she asked as her hand flew to her heart.

"We went to watch the sunrise," I explained. She nodded, then noticed the blanket and looked back up at Jim with eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

"Mom!"Jim said in disbelief, as we both blushed at the insinuation.

"I'm only teasing you kids," she said with a small laugh.

"So, um…" I began, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. "Who's ship is that?"

"Oh, it's… um, it's the… f-for the… um…" she stammered. Finally she sighed and gave in. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

When me and Jim continued to stare at her with confused looks, she smiled and explained further.

"It's yours."

"Who's?" I asked incredulously.

"Yours – you and Jim."

"What?" Jim half-laughed, still not believing what he was hearing.

"It was going to be a combined graduation and birthday present, but when you made captain last night, we decided we'd give it to you early."

I was completely floored. I was dreaming. I had to be. I turned to face Jim to see if he was just as lost as I was, and he looked like he could faint at any moment.

"It's really ours?" he breathed as he stared at the ship now docked in front of us.

"Yes, it's yours," Mrs. Hawkins laughed. "Go on! Go check it out!"

We didn't need to be told twice. Me and Jim both raced off towards it and clambered aboard.

"Jim! Tabitha!" Dr. Doppler greeted us from the helm.

"Doc, is this really ours?" Jim asked again.

"Yes, Mr. Hawkins, this is yours," a voice from behind us said, and we turned to see Captain Amelia. "We're only delivering it."

Jim shook his head in disbelief and began to walk around the deck, taking it all in. I smiled at first, but then a thought hit me.

_Ours_. This was _our_ ship.

I didn't understand; why was it mine too? I wasn't a part of their family, however close I was, and I hadn't done anything truly remarkable to deserve it. I felt selfish; it should be Jim's – just Jim's.

"Something wrong, Tabitha?" Dr. Doppler asked as he came approached me and his wife.

"I can't accept this."

Mrs. Hawkins was now on the boat too and she approached our group.

"Mrs. Hawkins, thank you, but I can't take this. I haven't done anything and I can't repay you, at least not for a while, and I'm not even part of your family or – "

"Okay, hold it right there," Jim's mother ordered as she stuck a hand up to halt me. "You haven't done anything? Tabitha, you've done plenty."

"You graduated Valedictorian of the Interstellar Academy of Medicine, did you not?" Captain Amelia asked.

_That's not _that_ big of a deal. Not big enough to earn me a ship!_

"Yes, plus whatever spell you've managed to cast over Jim. Ever since you two arrived back from that voyage, he's been different, and I know you had a big part in that," Mrs. Hawkins continued.

_Not as big a part as someone else...  
_

"And there's no need to repay anyone – it's a gift," Dr. Doppler explained.

"But where did you get the money?"

"Funds left over from the Treasure Planet voyage," Captain Amelia explained.

"But I can't – "

"Look, if you want to pay for it, just consider it payback for all the work you've helped me with at the inn," Mrs. Hawkins said.

"I haven't done that much – "

"And as for you not being part of the family," Dr. Doppler interrupted my excuses. "Well, maybe you aren't now, but how much longer could that possibly last?"

"Delbert!" Jim's mother exclaimed.

"What? Isn't it obvious that Jim is going to – "

The Doctor was cut off when Amelia squeezed his mouth shut.

"Dear, you're getting carried away," she warned.

They turned back to see me standing there looking completely baffled. What were they talking about? What was Jim going to do? Then a thought suddenly occurred to me and my eyes widened as the wave of shock washed over me. _Surely they didn't mean that he was going to..._

"Is he - " But before I could ask anything, Jim showed up.

"Mom, Doc, Captain – This is… amazing. Thanks for… wow," Jim stated in awe as he approached our group. He turned to face me and took in my stunned facial expression and laughed. "You aren't going to faint are you?"

I turned to face him and tried to say something, but couldn't. Luckily, Jim's mom intervened on my behalf.

"She doesn't think she deserves the ship," his mother interjected.

"What? Tabitha, that's crazy," Jim reassured me.

Finally, I managed to shake away the thoughts of me and Jim and what the doctor had hinted at until I could contemplate them and was able to focus on the matter of the ship again. "But _you_ made captain, it should be _your_ ship."

"Stop that. The ship is ours, end of discussion," he demanded, but then he took my hands and smiled. "Besides, if I am captain, I'm going to have to hire a crew, and who better to hire for the ships doctor than the Valedictorian of the school of medicine, who just happens to be my girlfriend."

I looked up at his and the other three smiling faces, and gave in. "I think you're all crazy, but… thank you. This is unbelievable."

"What is _this_?" Landon said as he, August, Theodore, and Graham all boarded the ship too, looking just as awestruck as we had.

"This is… our ship," I explained, though I was still stunned by everyone's generosity. I looked up at Jim and he nodded reassuringly.

"You two have a ship now? When did this happen?" August asked.

"About 5 minutes ago," Jim laughed.

"Man, we've got to stop sleeping in," Landon said.

"Well, we really must be going," Dr. Doppler said. "We've got to get back to the children."

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Hawkins replied, and the three of them left the boat, exchanging goodbyes with the teens.

"So, how did you get the money for it?" Graham questioned.

"My mom bought it with money left over from Treasure Planet. Apparently she didn't use it all building the inn," Jim explained. "And speaking of money, don't you owe me some money from a bet we made yesterday?

"Hey, that's right. I didn't faint, thank you very much," Tabitha boasted.

"Well, what d'ya know? I think it's time for breakfast," Landon joked as he headed back off the ship.

"Wait, why not just eat breakfast on the ship?" Theodore proposed.

"Because we don't have a cook, so unless you're going to make breakfast – and we'd appreciate it if you didn't because you really have no cooking skills whatsoever," Graham teased as he elbowed Theodore. "Then I say we go back to the Benbow and see what Mrs. Hawkins is making."

"Agreed," Landon and August said in unison as the group headed off the ship, while Jim and Tabitha hung back.

"We are eventually going to need a cook," I told Jim.

He didn't say anything at first, but then he sighed. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you?"

"Yeah…"

A sudden sadness had just entered the conversation – Silver. We rarely talked about him - there were too many 'What if...?"s surrounding the issue - but today I felt like we should, and I chose to address it.

"Jim, what do you think happened to him?"

Jim opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it again. After a minute, he sighed. "I don't know, Tabitha. I wish I did, but I don't."

"But he's… he's okay, right?" I knew this was a stupid question that Jim had no honest answer to, but I still wanted to hear him say it.

"Of course."

I started to feel tears well up in my eyes. I really didn't want to cry right now; we were supposed to be happy. We'd graduated, we had a ship, everything felt right... but I couldn't help it.

"I really miss him," I choked.

"No - hey, don't cry," Jim said softly as he wiped away my tears with his thumbs. He pulled me into a hug and a couple of small sobs escaped me before Jim was able to say anything else. "I know, I do too. But… we'll see him again... someday."

"Are you two coming or not?!" Landon shouted from the door of the inn, oblivious to the sentimental moment he was interrupting.

"We'll be right there!" Jim replied. I pulled back out of the hug and he looked down at me. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." I gave a small smile and wiped at my eyes with the sleeve of the jacket.

"Good," he said as he kissed my forehead. "Let's go get breakfast."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"So… what happened between you and Cason last night?" Tabitha asked Rylee in a cool tone as they worked on scrubbing dishes.

Rylee's eyes widened, but other than that she kept her composure and calmly sat down the plate she had been drying. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Well, first you spent the whole night dancing with him, then at the end of the night, you snuck off together – yes, I noticed. Everyone noticed, " Tabitha stopped Rylee's interjections. " – and you two came back half an hour after I went to bed. So now, as your best friend, you are obligated to tell me what happened."

"Nothing.... I guess we're just a couple now, that's all," Rylee tried to shrug away Tabitha's scrutinizing look.

"That's all?" Tabitha questioned. Rylee nodded over-enthusiastically, and Tabitha didn't buy it. "You're a liar."

"I am not! We just – " but Rylee stopped when she realized Tabitha was never going to believe that. She sighed and continued. "Look all that happened was… I mean, we…"

"What?!" Tabitha asked excitedly.

"We just kissed."

"For half an hour?" Tabitha smirked.

"Okay, fine, we made out. Happy?"

Tabitha laughed. "Actually, yeah. It's about time the two of you hooked up."

Rylee blushed as she scolded Tabitha's laughter."Don't say it like that, Tabitha! People are going to think something more than that happened!"

As if on cue, Jim and Cason entered the kitchen. The couple in question froze when they saw each other, then Rylee blushed and turned away.

"Oh God, what am I supposed to do?!" Rylee asked Tabitha in a panicked whisper.

"Just act natural. You already know he likes you, so the worst parts over. Just go." Tabitha pushed her friend away from the sink towards the table where Cason was now sitting. They both tried to stare at anything but each other, and whenever they're gazes did cross, they would both blush and turn away.

Jim and Tabitha exchanged knowing looks. It hadn't been funny when they were going through, but now seeing it as an outsider, they realized it actually was pretty hilarious to watch how awkward they were together.

"Do you think we should leave them alone?" Tabitha whispered to Jim as she tried to hold back a laugh.

"Are you kidding? This is way too much fun. Let's stay and see what happens."

Graham, August, Landon, and Theodore all walked into the kitchen talking animatedly, but stopped as soon as they realized the weird tension that was hanging in the air. Nobody moved for a second, then Landon slowly slid over to Tabitha and Jim.

"What's going on with them?" he whispered, gesturing to Cason and Rylee.

"They made out last night," Tabitha whispered back.

"They ma - " Landon started to shout, but was quickly shut up when Jim slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I'm not sure they want the entire inn to know."

"Right. Gotcha." Landon slid slowly back to the other boys and whispered what was going on. They had the same surprised reaction, and were shushed by Landon.

"We know you're talking about us," Cason finally said as he turned around in his chair to face everybody.

Nobody said anything for a second, until Theodore voiced everyone's thoughts. "You two made out?!"

As they all burst into a fit of laughter, Cason sat up defensively and Rylee blushed and hid her face behind her hands.

"Well, I for one would just like to say how happy we all are that you too finally hooked up," August told them as he too took a spot at the table.

"Oh come on, Ry, don't act so embarrassed. We're only teasing," Graham explained as he sat down.

"Well I don't think it's very funny..." Rylee mumbled, still keep her face hidden.

"Yeah, neither do I," Cason said.

"Oh, don't get so defensive, Case. You all did the same thing to me and Jim when you first met us," Tabitha said as she headed over to the table with Jim.

"Oh, okay, well why don't we talk about some of _your_ makeout sessions and see how you react?" Cason said almost angrily.

Tabitha and Jim blanched.

"Yeah, like that time after orientation our freshman year?" Rylee suggested.

"Whoa-ho, I didn't know about that one," Landon laughed.

"Or the time I came up to your room and found you two going at it?" Cason suggested.

By this time, all the other boys were laughing so hard they were nearly crying. Tabitha and Jim were both standing there blushing as much as the new couple had been.

"Don't say it like that! We were kissing, not _going at it_!" Tabitha said angrily.

"Not to mention if my mom overhears you saying something like that – " Jim began.

"Something like what?" Mrs. Hawkins was suddenly at the kitchen door, hands on hips, staring down the group of teens.

"Nothing," everyone said in unison.

Mrs. Hawkins stared at them suspiciously. She stared them all down individually, but before she could press the matter further, B.E.N. and Morph came bounding through the door.

"Don't mind me, I'm only here to get refills. I'll be out of here in no time!" B.E.N. explained. "Hiya kids!"

"Hello, B.E.N.," they murmured in unison.

Morph flew over to Jim. He chattered questioningly, then changed into a miniature version of the new ship.

"Yes, Morph, it's our ship. Mine and Tabitha's," he explained.

Morph squeaked gleefully, then changed into a miniature of Silver. Before anyone could see or ask questions, Jim had grabbed for him out of the air. He squeaked angrily at Jim and flew over to Tabitha.

"Sorry, Morph, but Silver's not going to be on this boat," she whispered. "We have to keep him a secret."

Morph whimpered, and Tabitha consoled him as she joined back into the conversation.

"Well you need to do something with it, Jim. You can't just let it sit out there forever," Theodore said.

"Yeah, why don't you take it for a test run or something?" August said.

"Yeah, you could just go to Kinapis or something. It's close, safe, cheap - everything that matters most," Cason stated.

Jim didn't look totally convinced.

"What? A trip to Kinapis to dull for you? Not enough excitement compared to your first voyage?" Tabitha joked.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Mrs. Hawkins said without even looking up from the stove.

"Yeah, it's - wait, what?" Jim asked as he noticed what she had just said.

"Are you feeling alright, Mrs. Hawkins? If you're not feeling well, we could get Dr. Tabitha over there to examine you," Graham kid.

"You honestly thought I would buy you a ship and then not let you sail it anywhere? Of course it's fine with me. I'm just surprised you aren't trying to convince me to let you go on another treasure hunt."

"I don't think there are any treasures like that left," Theodore shrugged.

"No, there's a couple still out there, but they're all minor compared to Treasure Planet," August explained.

"Well, what do you think Jim? You are the captain after all," Tabitha smiled.

Jim let out a small laugh. "Yeah, we'll go to Kinapis."

"And by 'we' you mean..." Cason hinted.

"All of us."

A cheer erupted from everyone else at the table as they all thanked Jim.

"Hey, don't thank me, thank my mom."

The group, including Morph, all stood up and thanked Jim's mom individually, then departed in separate ways, all of to get in touch with their families and let them know where they were going.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hawkins," Tabitha said as she hugged Jim's mother.

"Tabitha, you've already thanked me."

"I know, but I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough. Not just for the ship, but for everything. I feel like I need to do something - "

"You don't need to do anything," Mrs. Hawkins smiled as she returned the hug.

Tabitha smiled and backed out of the room, leaving Jim alone with his mom.

"Thanks mom. You're sure about this?"

"Jim... adventure's in your blood. If I hadn't bought that ship for you, I'm sure you would have figured out a way to commandeer one and set sail on your own. That's who you are, and I can't stop that."

Jim graciously embraced her.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Jim," she replied. When they separated, it was clear that she was trying hard to hold back tears. "I just can't believe how fast you've grown up. It seems like only yesterday you were staying up past your bedtime to read stories about legendary captains, and now you're on the way to becoming one yourself... Besides, last time you brought home Tabitha. Who knows?" Mrs. Hawkins gave a small laugh and continued.

"Maybe you can surprise us with a remarkable person this time too."

* * *

**So, how'd you like it?**

If it seems like we're kind of off to a slow start, I promise you there will be plenty of action.  
I'm just trying to set up the basics of the story and the new characters and stuff like that.

**Please leave reviews!**

**Thank you!**

**-Emily**

**--Responses to Previous Reviews--**

**NeverTooLate03: Thank you!**

**xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx: Yeah, I used the end of the movie as kind of a jumping off point for the beginning of this just because it seemed like a good way to begin. Thank you so much!**

**anon: Good point about the Mary Sue's. Periwinkle is a sort of light blue/gray/purple color. I may do a profile, I don't know. I'll just have to see. Yeah, I see what you mean about Jim getting jealous. I'll keep it in mind for later chapters.**

**23jk: Thanks! And yes, I'm very excited about the new characters.**

**La Nubit: Wow, thank you so much! The fact that you decided to review when you usually don't means a lot to me! Yeah, people do tend to pick and choose who is a Mary Sue and who isn't, but I'm glad that people don't see Tabitha as just an all out Mary Sue. Thanks you, and your English was just fine by the way.**

**Horsygirl 96: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're a fan! It really means a lot to me.**


	20. Dreams

**Readers: ZzzZZZzz...**

**Me: Ahem... I have an update.**

**Readers: *jump up* Really?**

**Me: Yep.**

**Reader #1: It's about time!**

**Reader #2: The suspense was killing me!**

**Me: Well, here it is!**

**Readers: YAY! *rush to computers to read chapter***

* * *

"So which one? The lilac or the peach?

"For the last time – You don't need to bring a dress!"

They'd been having this conversation all afternoon, and Tabitha was still trying to talk Rylee out of bringing her entire wardrobe.

"But what if something comes up?"

"Ry, we're only going to be gone a few days. What could possibly come up that you would need a dress for?" Tabitha said as she took the dresses away from her and hung them back in the closet.

"Well it never hurts to be prepared," Rylee responded as she took them back out and tried to cram both of the dresses into her already jam-packed trunk.

Tabitha rolled her eyes, but went to help. "What is all of this _stuff_?"

"It's only… necessities…" Rylee grunted as she tried to latch the trunk closed.

"If these are your 'necessities', then I honestly don't know how we're friends," Tabitha laughed.

"Opposites attract," Rylee sighed as she finally shut the case. "There. Finished."

There was a knock at the door. Rylee opened it and found Cason and Jim each holding their own suitcases.

"Hey, are you packed yet?" Cason asked.

"Yeah, just finished," Rylee told him as she strained to pick the suitcase up off of the bed.

"Here, I'll get it," Cason told her as he walked over and picked it up. It was clear that even he found it to be heavier than expected, but he carried it out with no comments.

Tabitha turned back to see Rylee staring after him dreamily.

"Stop looking like that," Tabitha said. "Go say something flirtatingly to him or – "

"The word is 'flirtatiously'."

"Same thing," she laughed. "Just go."

Rylee rolled her eyes as she headed out of the room. Tabitha picked up her own bag and guitar case and began to head out with it. She stepped into the hallway to where Jim was waiting for her.

"Thanks for offering to carry mine," she said sarcastically as they headed downstairs.

"Oh. You want me to?" Jim turned around to her looking worried.

"No, I just like watching you get nervous," she laughed.

Everyone else was already downstairs when they got there. They headed over to Graham, who was standing by the door holding a checklist and marking off things as they were brought down.

"And…done," he said as Jim and Tabitha put their trunks down with everyone else's.

"Can we eat now?" Theodore and August asked in unison. Then they turned and looked at each other.

"Okay, I know we're twins and all, but that was weird," August said.

Mrs. Hawkins laughed. "Go ahead. B.E.N.'s serving it right now."

The group eagerly rushed to the kitchen, chatting about the next day's voyage.

"So what time are we leaving, Captain Jim?" Landon asked.

"Well the earlier we leave, the earlier we get there… how does 7 sound?"

There was a general murmur of agreement, except from Tabitha.

Jim laughed at her. "Welcome back to the life of a sailor, Dr. Alexander. Get used to getting up early."

"Yeah, yeah…" she mumbled as she took a seat at the table with everyone else.

Theodore picked up his spoon and was just about to start eating when Jim suddenly snatched the spoon out of his hand.

"Wha – "

"Nice try, Morph," Jim said.

Sure enough, the spoon transformed into a pink blob that chirped excitedly at Jim. Then the blob's tone changed and he looked up at Jim and Tabitha worriedly.

"What's wrong, Morph?" Tabitha asked, leaning closer to him.

Morph squeaked some more, then transformed into the boat, then back into himself.

"Of course you're coming with us," Tabitha said.

Morph squealed and nuzzled up against Tabitha and Jim before zooming around the table to each individual. When he got to Rylee, he tugged on her hair playfully.

"Ow! What is this thing doing?" she shouted as she tried to swat Morph away.

"It just means he likes you," Tabitha told her. "Or at least your hair."

"Here, I'll get him." Cason began trying to wildly grab at Morph, but only ended up spilling her food into her lap. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

"No, really, it's okay," Rylee told him as she tried to clean up.

The others snickered as the two of them continued to reach for napkins. When it got down to the last one, they reached for it at the same time and her hand landed on top of his. They looked up awkwardly at each other, then she quickly jerked her hand back.

"De ja vu," Jim mumbled to Tabitha. It took her a second, but when she remembered she giggled at the memory.

"Gee, I wish I could come with you guys, Jimmy, but I think your mom will need all the help she can get with you guys gone," B.E.N. said. "And you know, I'm still a little wary about traveling, since the last time I did I ended up stranded for 100 years…"

"Well I think the likelihood of that happening again is pretty low, B.E.N., but your right, Mrs. Hawkins will need help around here," August told him.

"You know, you're probably – whoa!" B.E.N. shouted as he stumbled through the doorway when Mrs. Hawkins opened it.

"Careful, B.E.N. I'm already losing the kids. I don't need you out of commission too," she said as she lent him a hand.

"Yes ma'am, Mrs. Hawkins!" B.E.N. saluted and headed out of the kitchen.

"Okay, let's go through everything one more time."

There was a unified groan, but a sharp look from Mrs. Hawkins shut them all up.

"You've all contacted your parents and told them what you're doing?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"7 a.m."

"Where are you going?"

"Crescentia Spaceport, then Kinapis."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Mom, it's no big deal. We'll be fine," Jim assured her.

"I know, I know. I just want to make sure you've got everything under control," she told him.

"Yeah, our mom was the same way," Theodore agreed. "She was pretty nervous about both of her 'precious little angels' going away."

"Not my folks. They pretty much just told me 'good riddance'," Cason commented.

"Yeah, well can you blame 'em?" Graham joked.

"All right, kids," Mrs. Hawkins chastised their laughter. "Time for bed; you've got an early start in the morning."

Everyone mumbled their agreement as they put there plate in the sink and left the kitchen. Jim headed over to wash them, but his mom stopped him.

"No, I'll get B.E.N. to do it."

"Thanks… for everything."

She nodded in understanding. "Good night, Jim."

Morph flew up between the two of them and squeaked.

"And good night to you too," Mrs. Hawkins said as she tickled the tiny pink blob.

"Good night, mom," Jim said as he and Morph left the kitchen and headed up stairs to bed.

Morph promptly flew off to Jim's bedroom, but Jim had other ideas.

He headed over to Tabitha's room and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

"Uh… hang on just a second!"

Jim propped himself against the door frame and waited. A minute or two later, Tabitha opened the door and greeted him in her pajamas.

"What were you doing?" he asked as she let him into the room.

"Changing clothes," she stated, gesturing to the fact that she was obviously wearing something different then she had been in the kitchen. "Why?"

"You know, you could have let me in for that," Jim teased as he shut the door behind him.

"Oh right, I'm sure you would have loved that," Tabitha said sarcastically as she pulled her hair down.

"You bet I would have," he said slyly as he grabbed her waist from behind and spun her around, pulling her against his body.

She looked up at him a bit shocked, but then pink swept across her cheeks and she bit her lip shyly. He leaned down and kissed her, gently at first, then a bit more forcefully. She returned it with matched enthusiasm, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself closer. He walked her backwards until the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed and she fell backwards and sat down. He sat down too, and they continued their lust-filled kiss, the intimacy growing by the second. He placed his hand on the small of her back and she moved her hands down to his chest. After a minute, she slid her hands underneath his shirt. As her warm hand touched his bare chest, Jim flinched and pulled back, leaving them both breathing heavily.

"Did…did I do something wrong?" Tabitha questioned.

"Oh, you didn't do _anything_ wrong, believe me," Jim smiled.

"T-too much?" she asked quietly as she wrung her hands together.

"No, I just want to make sure… I stop while I still can," he explained as he took her hand. "It's easy to get carried away with you."

Tabitha blushed and turned her eyes away. "Oh, right…"

"Did I embarrass you?" Jim chuckled disbelievingly.

She gave a small shrug, but still didn't look up at him.

"Don't be – take it as a compliment." Jim said as he turned her head back to him and gave her a quick kiss. "Good night."

Tabitha laughed. "Good night."

"I love you," Jim smiled from the doorway.

Tabitha grinned broadly at the words. "I love you, too."

Jim left the room, closing the door behind him. Tabitha snuggled under the covers, and was almost instantly asleep.

Jim reached his room and stripped off his shirt. Morph, who was already asleep on his pillow, shifted slightly when Jim got in bed. He lay down and stared up at the ceiling; he wasn't tired. He was too excited about the next morning. Tomorrow would begin his first voyage as Captain... He still couldn't believe that he was a Captain at only 18. It was almost unheard of; most people were lucky to have earned that title at 25. His heart pounded at the prospect of new adventures. (Well, his little adventure with Tabitha might have had something to do with his increased heart rate, too.)

He smiled to himself, completely satisfied with everything in his life right now.

He had just closed his eyes to try to sleep when a sound jarred him back awake.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 **

**--Tabitha's POV--**

_She was lost. She was definitely lost…_

_"Well, well, well. What do we have here? What are you doing in this part of town, girly?"_

"_Nothing. I was just leaving." _

_He stuck out an arm to stop her…_

"_Oh no you don't. How could we resist someone so… alluring, shall we say?" _

_His eyes seemed to glow from the pale light that shone from the street. The green orbs pierced the darkness, striking fear into her heart…_

_"No... please..." _

"_Shh…I'm not going to hurt you… "_

_He ran his hand up the side of her body, lifting her skirt about halfway up her leg in the process. She froze… this couldn't be happening._

_Wait a second… where was Silver? Silver should be here… he was supposed to save her._

"_Stop it! Let me go!"_

_The man only laughed at her feeble attempt to push him away._

_Silver should be here already. He had to come… he had to save her…_

_The man pressed himself against her, still running his hands across her…_

"_Let go of me!"_

_His hands seemed to be everywhere all at once…_

"_Silver!"  
_

"_He's not coming, Tabitha…"_

_Who said that? It wasn't the man… the man was gone._

"_Please! Silver!"_

"_He can't hear you…"_

"_No!"_

"_He doesn't care…"_

_There was nothing but pitch black surrounding me. I felt like everything was closing in on me, compressing me…_

"_Help me! Please!"_

_What was happening? I was pressed against the wall, unable to move._

"_Tabitha…"_

"_No! Please!"_

_I tried to fight, but I was fighting oblivion… There was nothing there… I couldn't breathe… I was suffocating…_

"_Tabitha… Tabitha…"_

_What's happening? Why isn't Silver here? I can't breathe…_

"Tabitha!"

**--Jim's POV—**

I quickly sat upright in bed. Someone was screaming… Tabitha. Tabitha was screaming.

"No! Please! Help me!"

I was running for her room before I had fully comprehended the situation. I rushed into her bedroom to her bed. She was tossing and turning and fighting as if her life depended on it, but she was still asleep. She was having a nightmare. Some part of me breathed a sigh of relief that it was nothing worse, but I was still worried about whatever it was she was dreaming about that made her act like this.

"Please! Silver!"

_Silver? What's happening to her? _ I sat down on the edge of her bed and began trying to wake her up.

"Tabitha - "

"Help me! Please!"

She was flailing around so much that I had to practically hold her down to keep her from hurting herself or falling off the bed. I grabbed her shoulders, trying to hold her still and wake her up.

"No! Please!"

"Tabitha! Tabitha!"

I was severely worried. How bad of a nightmare was it if this was her reaction to it?

"Tabitha!"

Finally, her eyes shot open to look at me, but she continued fighting for a minute before she began to realize what was going on.

"Tabitha, it's me! It's me, calm down. You're okay."

She stopped fighting and trying to pull away, but was trembling and breathing heavily. Whatever that dream was, it was something extremely traumatic. She looked genuinely terrified. She sat bolt upright in bed and looked to me for an answer.

"You had a nightmare."

As soon as I said that, she broke down into tears. I embraced her tightly against me to try to stop her shaking, and realized she was soaked with sweat. I had never seen so emotional before; this was not like her at all. I'd seen Tabitha cry before, but she was in absolute hysterics now, unable to take deep breaths or try to calm herself.

"It's okay. You're safe, everything is fine."

"I'm so scared," she sobbed.

"It was only a dream. There's nothing to be scared of," I tried to soother her.

It was several more minutes before she was able to regain any of her composure.

"It was so real," she whispered. Her breaths were still shuddering, but she had calmed down.

"It wasn't real. It was only a dream. I'm here now, you're safe."

"You can't leave me."

I wasn't sure what she meant by "leave" – leave her as in leave the room, leave her as in leave our relationship… "I would never leave you."

"Don't go." She put a hand on my arm as if she planned on holding me back if I tried to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"You have to stay."

By now I thought I knew what she meant, but I hesitated to ask the next question.

"Do you want me to stay in here and sleep with you?"

I immediately wanted to smack myself at my terrible word choice_. _She didn't appear to notice; she looked up at me, her face red from crying and gave a small nod.

I pushed her bangs out of her face and smiled reassuringly at her. "Okay."

She shifted over so I had room to lie down. I felt my face heat up as I situated myself under the covers, but quickly shook away any thought that wasn't directly related to Tabitha... more specifically, making sure she was okay.

As soon as I was settled she put her head back on my bare chest and continued crying. I alternated between rubbing her back and stroking her hair, all the time trying to say anything at all to comfort her.

A long while later, she pulled back and moved her head to the pillow.

"Are you alright now?"

She gave a small, unconvincing nod.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She shook her head insistently. I wanted to talk about it; I had dozens of questions to ask, but I wasn't going to press the matter. Whatever it was, it was upsetting and I understood if she wanted to just put it out of mind as much as possible.

"Okay... Do you still want me to stay?"

She turned over so her body was facing me. "Will you?"

I turned over so that I was facing her too. "Of course."

"Thank you…" she whispered as her eyes closed.

It didn't take long for her to fall back asleep. I stared at her for a moment, observing her now completely calm facial expression. _God, she's beautiful._ I thanked the heavens for whatever it was I had done to deserve her. Maybe it was just luck, but, whatever the reason, I was thankful for it. I couldn't even imagine living a life without her now.

Tentatively, I reached out and softly grabbed her hand, and she smiled dreamily. She looked so peaceful, so happy.

I smiled too and drifted off to sleep.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"I found him, Mrs. Hawkins!" B.E.N. shouted when he entered Tabitha's room.

Jim had his arm wrapped around Tabitha and she was snuggled tightly against him.

"Jimmy!" B.E.N. said as he prodded at Jim to wake him up.

Jim groaned and pushed the robot away.

"B.E.N.?" Mrs. Hawkins called from the hallway.

"In here!"

Mrs. Hawkins walked into Tabitha's room and stopped upon spotting the teens.

"B.E.N., why don't you go downstairs and tell the others what's going on?" Mrs. Hawkins suggested.

B.E.N. saluted, and left the room. With a smirk, Mrs. Hawkins walked over to the foot of the bed and placed her hands on her hips as she stared down at the two sleeping teenagers.

"James Pleiades Hawkins and Tabitha Renee Alexander!"

Both of them shot up into sitting positions at the use of their full names.

"Mom!" Jim shouted in surprise.

"I'm sure you two can explain yourselves?"

Mrs. Hawkins glared down at them. Jim opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Tabitha looked at him, then laughed.

"I had a nightmare and asked Jim to stay with me because I was scared," she explained easily.

"I was actually referring to why you two weren't up yet. I thought you were awake an hour ago," Mrs. Hawkins glare softened and broke into a smile. "But I'm glad I got to hear that explanation, too."

"We'll get up now," Tabitha said as she climbed out of bed.

Mrs. Hawkins left and Tabitha walked over to her closet and pulled her favorite light blue shirt on over the camisole she had slept in. She pulled down a pair of pants and turned around to tell Jim to leave and found he had not moved. He was blushed beet red and staring at the door his mom had just left through.

"Ahem," Tabitha loudly cleared her throat

Jim turned to face her.

"Did she embarrass you?" Tabitha teased.

"Well... yeah."

"Why? Nothing happened," she laughed.

"It's what she _thinks _happened that embarrasses me. Like that time when I fell on top of you and Silver found us - You were embarrassed because you knew what he was thinking."

Tabitha walked back over to and slowly climbed onto the bed. "Do you remember what else happened that night?"

"Of course – we had our first kiss," Jim said. "How could I forget?"

"Exactly," Tabitha said as she leaned forward and kissed him. She continued to inch closer and closer to Jim as they kissed, and he kept shifting back. Finally, she leaned so far forward that he toppled backwards out of bed.

"Good. Now you're out of bed," Tabitha smiled down at him as she climbed out of bed.

"Ow… that was _not_ fair," Jim said in mock anger as he picked himself up.

"Well, I have to get dressed," she laughed.

"What does that have to do with pushing me in the floor?"

"Because that means you have to leave, and I had to get you out of bed somehow."

"Why do I have to leave?" Jim pretended to whine.

She pushed him towards the door. "Didn't you hear your mom? We were supposed to be up an hour ago!"

"What time is it?" he asked as he opened the door.

"6:30," Tabitha said as she glanced at the clock.

"What?!"

Jim rushed out of the room. Tabitha rolled her eyes as she shut the door behind him and finished getting ready.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Tabitha and Jim walked outside a few minutes later and found all of their friends waiting for them. They were all whispering together, but abruptly stopped when they say Jim and Tabitha.

"What?" Tabitha asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Landon told her, as the rest of the group snickered.

"Ok, what? It's something about us, right?" Jim questioned.

The group all continued to laugh until Rylee said something. "B.E.N. just told us where he found you this morning."

Jim blushed again, but explained. "We - "

"Jim! Don't tell them!" Tabitha feigned anger. Jim looked down at her surprised, and she winked to show she was only kidding.

The others jaws dropped as the stared in disbelief at the couple.

"Did something actually happen?" Graham questioned.

Jim smirked and looked up. "I don't kiss and tell."

"Whoa," Theodore simply stated.

"Nice..." August nodded appreciatively.

Cason shook his head. "And to think you made fun of us for just making out."

"Uh, Jim? You're going to tell me what _really_ happened, right?" Graham whispered as he leaned in closer to Jim.

"No, he will not," Tabitha said as she crossed her arms and stared the other boys down. "And no matter what it was, it's farther than any of _you_ have ever gotten with a girl."

The other boys pretended to be offended and Rylee and Jim laughed.

"Touché, Tabitha," Landon chuckled.

Captain Amelia suddenly emerged from inside the inn.

"Captain, I didn't know you were here," Jim said as she walked over to him.

"Yes, well, perhaps you would have had you not overslept."

The other teens burst into a fit of laughter. Amelia shot them a disapproving look that silenced them, and continued. "As a captain, you should be prompt, dependable, and responsible."

"Yes ma'am," Jim nodded respectfully.

Amelia softened when she sensed the young captain's nervousness. "You'll do a fine job, I'm sure."

"Thank you, ma'am," Jim said as he released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Dr. Doppler appeared from inside too, carrying a crying baby.

"Amelia dear, I don't know what to do. I've tried everything, but she insists on crying," he said as he rocked the child back and forth.

Amelia was just about to take her when Tabitha spoke up hesitantly. "May I try?"

"Be my guest," Amelia said.

Tabitha took the child and cradled her gently. "This is Alison, right?"

The child's parents nodded. Tabitha rocked her gently bounced her up and down, shushing and cooing at her. A moment later, the baby stopped crying and gurgled happily.

Amelia looked a bit shocked. "Well done, Dr. Alexander."

"You certainly have a way with children," Dr. Doppler agreed.

Tabitha grinned at the praise and continued to play with the baby. Jim walked around to Tabitha's side and smiled down at the child. When she spotted him, she giggled happily and reached her arms out towards him.

"Jim, you made her laugh!" Tabitha said happily.

Jim blinked in surprise. "I-I did?"

"I believe... that's the the first time she's laughed," Amelia said in awe. "You're going to make a wonderful father someday, Mr. Hawkins."

Tabitha handed her the child and the mother took her back inside. Jim was stunned, but elated by her comment. Hearing that someone thought he would make a good dad was one of the most rewarding things he'd ever heard. That's what he'd always hoped of becoming - a good father.

Tabitha saw how thrilled he was and took his hand with a smile. "She's right, you know."

"Yes, I agree. You two will certainly make excellent parent's someday," Dr. Doppler said.

Jim and Tabitha shifted uncomfortably and he realized he had once again misspoke.

"Not necessarily together, of course! Good heavens, I only meant - "

Mrs. Hawkins showed up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Delbert. Why don't you go back inside and help Amelia?"

"Well, Sarah, if you insist," he cleared his throat nervously. "I'll just... be going now."

As the doctor left, Mrs. Hawkins shook her head, then turned back to the teenagers. "Okay, kids, if you're all ready, I want to get a picture before you leave."

"Aw, mom..." Jim groaned.

"Go," his mother insisted.

Jim took a place next to Tabitha, Rylee and Cason stood next to them and the other boys filled in around them.

They were quite a group: the girls both in their royal blue uniforms jackets from the academy, all the others in navy blue, except Jim, of course, who was in white.

Mrs. Hawkins took a picture of the group of friends. "Okay, now one of just Jim and Tabitha."

Jim sighed, as the others left and headed toward the boat. As she took the picture, Jim leaned down and kissed Tabitha on the cheek, and she turned and smiled brightly up at him.

"Okay, time to go," Jim said.

His mother stepped forward and brushed his bangs away from his face. "Be careful, Jim. I don't want to lose you."

"You _won't_ mom," Jim said as if he'd heard this a hundred times. "I'll make you proud."

"I already am proud."

Tabitha stood back as they hugged each other. When they separated, Mrs. Hawkins turned and hugged her.

"You stay safe, too," she told her. "And try to keep Jim from doing anything stupid."

"I'll do what I can, Mrs. Hawkins," Tabitha laughed.

"Well... guess there's nothing left to say but goodbye."

"Good bye," Jim and Tabitha mumbled together as they waved and turned to head towards the boat.

"Jim?" Tabitha began. "Could I ask you for a favor?"

"Uh, sure."

"Could you... not tell anyone about my nightmare last night?"

"Oh... is that why you interrupted me when I started to tell them?"

She nodded. "I just don't want anyone to know."

Jim looked over at her questioningly. "Can I ask why?"

"I don't really want to have to explain to people what they were about."

"Okay," Jim nodded and took her hand. He was still very concerned about whatever it was that had had Tabitha so upset, but he didn't feel it was a subject they needed to linger on.

As soon as they stepped on deck, Graham walked up to Jim.

"Seriously though, you're going to tell me what happened, right?"

* * *

**Next chapter: The plot begins to thicken.**

**Readers: Ooohh...**

**Please Review! They make me happy :)**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: Hmm... it might have been... I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out! Thank you.**

**Anon: Thanks! I'm glad you think she's a good match for him. I've really been working hard to make her that way!  
**

**Horsygirl96: Thank you! And as far as your question... that's for me to know and you to find out! :D I'm glad you think it's getting better!**

**23jk: I'm so glad that you still like it and actually think it's getting better! I've been nervous about writing my own thing without any guide or movie to follow, and it's harder than I thought. That's part of the reason it took me longer to update. I hope you continue to read & review!**


	21. A Lot to Think About

**A few quick things before we get started:**

**1. I'm very sorry about not posting as often as I used to. I haven't been in the "zone", so I haven't been nearly as enthusiastic about my writing. I hope it still sounds good to you guys.**

**2. I would just like to say thank you yet again to my fans, and anyone who reads this story. I can never explain how much your support means. Your comments really give me a confidence boost, about the story and just in life in general. Seriously - thank you.  
**

**3. I'm going to take a brief second here to tell you I am super excited because I just found out that I'm getting a Treasure Planet movie banner for Christmas! It's ginormous (6 feet x 4 feet) and I am absolutely in love with it. It's super rare and it took me forever to find someone with it, but I did, and we're buying it! *happy dance***

**4. Ahem. Okay, anyways, here's the story. I'm not so sure how I feel about this chapter; it feels kind of awkward to me, but it's what I came up with. And I'm just going to tell you now that it's really late at night, but I was feeling motivated so I went ahead and posted this chapter. Please forgive any typos or anything that just plain does not make sense. I'll fix it tomorrow.**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
**"Theodore and August - you go double check all the mechanics on the ship, make sure everything's running smoothly. Cason and Rylee - look over the deck and make sure everything looks okay. Graham - you're in charge of buying any extra supplies we may need, and Tabitha and I will grab some food to stock up on. Okay?"

"Yes, sir," the adolescent spacers responded to Jim's orders as they set off to complete their assignments.

The cruise to Crescentia had been easygoing - slow speeds, minimal danger, and a general lack of excitement. Everyone was very relaxed about the whole thing, except for Jim. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or just nervousness about being a Captain - even if it was just a simple journey, it was still a huge responsibility - or even just typical pre-travel jitters, but Jim had been on edge since they boarded the boat.

"Well, so far so good," Tabitha said contentedly as she and Jim walked hand-in-hand down the road. "I really thought that with such a small crew, we were bound to run into some problems, but we haven't had any."

"We haven't had any _yet_," Jim added.

"So much for optimism," Tabitha rolled her eyes and playfully elbowed Jim. "Come on, Jim! It wouldn't hurt you to have a little more confidence in yourself. Your girlfriend's proud of you, your mom's proud of you, the Doppler's are proud of you - "

"I'm proud of ya."

Jim and Tabitha stopped dead in their tracks at the voice. Slowly, hesitantly, they turned around, both afraid they'd only imagined it, that it had only been wishful thinking that made them here it...

"I knew ya had the makin's o' greatness in ya," Silver smiled at the bewildered couple.

They were both completely floored. After all this time, after all the wishes and hopes and prayers and maybes, Silver was here. Here. Right in front of them. He was not a figment of their imagination, a hallucination brought on by hopeful thoughts. He was really here.

"Well? Ya gonna say somethin' or should I jus' be on me way?" Silver said teasingly skeptical.

Tabitha was the first to move. She ran to the old cook and eagerly through herself into his open arms. He laughed and returned the hug, lifting her off the ground as he did so. Jim's reaction was a little more subdued. Though he wanted to run to Silver and embrace him just as she had done, he didn't. He wasn't sure it would be entirely appropriate, or becoming for a captain, or if it would even be returned in the same way. Instead, he walked slowly over to him, maintaining his calm disposition, despite how fast his heart was racing from the shock. As Jim approached, Tabitha stepped away, leaving the two men face-to-face with each other.

"Hello, Silver," Jim greeted, sounding tensely cordial.

"Jimbo," Silver said with a simple nod.

He held out his hand and Jim shook it. After a second though, they laughed. Knowing that a simple handshake after all this time wasn't going to be enough, they pulled each other into an embrace.

"What are ya doin' here?"

"What are _we_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Jim asked, still stunned by the sudden reappearance of the old friend. "We don't see or hear from you for three years, and then we just happen to bump into you at the spaceport?"

"Three?! It's been t'at long? O, have mercy, that'd make ya..."

"Eighteen," Tabitha smiled.

"Eighteen! I'm gettin' too ol'," Silver chuckled and shook his head. "Aye though, lad - I've done a terrible job o' keepin' in touch wit' ya, an' I apologize. So what's happened to ya? Other than the fac' ya wen' and grew up on me. An' wha' are these trimmin' uniforms ya got on?"

"We just graduated from the academy," Tabitha hurriedly explained. "But I want to hear about you. How are you? Are you still on the run? Are you working? What are you doing at Crescentia? How - "

"Easy, lass," Silver laughed. "I'm alrigh'. Bein' honest wit' ya, I'm still a wanted felon, but I hadn't heard a t'ing about anyone lookin' fer me fer months, so I'm no' too worried. An' I'm doin' the same thing I always been doin' o' course - bein' a cook."

"So nothing illegal?" Jim asked skeptically.

"O' course not! Have a li'l faith, Jimbo!'' Silver replied as if the the suggestion was unheard of. "Jus' sailin' on voyages from one side o' this universe to the other. Tha's why I'm at Crescentia - this was the las' stop on me trip, so I thought I'd jump ship an' come visit ya'."

"Well that's too bad, because we were just leaving," Tabitha explained, feigning disappointment as she formulated a plan. "But... you don't have anywhere else to go, right?"

"No' a' the moment, no."

Tabitha smiled brightly as she was stuck with an idea. She looked up to Jim pleadingly, but he had already had the same thought.

"Why don't you come on our voyage? We need a cook anyway, and we're only going to Kinapis and back - just a few days," Jim proposed.

"Please?" Tabitha begged.

"Well, I'd love t' kids, but don't ya think ya'd better consult wit' yer cap'n 'efore ya start givin' away jobs?"

Tabitha and Jim both snickered, and Silver eyed them suspiciously. "Wha'?"

Jim stopped laughing long enough to inform him. "I am the captain."

Silver stood there totally bewildered for a moment before his senses returned to him. "Heavens, I should 'ave known by yer uniform! You, Jimbo? A cap'n? I don' believe it..."

"Oh, have a little faith, Silver!" Jim mocked.

"But yer only eighteen, lad! How'd ya manage tha?"

"He scored amazingly high on the SAKE when he graduated, just like I knew he would," Tabitha explained matter-of-factly as she grabbed Jim's hand and beamed up at him.

Jim smiled back and gave her a quick kiss.

Silver smiled. "Well, guess tha' answered me nex' question on whether ya two lovebirds are still togethe'."

Tabitha bit her lip to hide her smile and Jim laced his fingers through hers.

"Well? Will you join us?" Jim asked, his voice hopeful.

"Well..." Silver contemplated, then grinned. "Course I will!"

Jim was about to say something but was interrupted when Graham suddenly came around the corner and approached them.

"Hey Jim, we - " he paused, taking in Silver's fairly haggard appearance and wondering what on earth Jim and Tabitha were doing talking to him. "...we're all ready... and waiting for you guys."

"We're coming," Tabitha nodded. Graham nodded back, still looking baffled, then turned and left.

"Alrigh', if I'm gonna be cookin' for the lot o' ya, then I'll need to know what food ya got."

"Not much of anything, really. That's what we were on our way to buy when we bumped into you," Tabby said.

"Easier tha' way anyway - I'll be able to pick what I'm workin' wit'," Silver agreed easily. "I'll go buy what I need and meet ya back at the ship. What's the name?"

"Ah, it doesn't have a name... yet," Jim explained regretfully.

"Oh... it's bad luck to sail a boat wit' no name," Silver said ominously.

"Hey, what happened to your overwhelming confidence in me?" Jim teased. "We'll be fine. We survived a supernova, a black hole, a mutiny, and an exploding planet; after that, I think we can handle just about anything."

"I surely hope yer righ', Jimbo. I won' be too happy if this journey's me last," Silver chuckled as he left.

The two just stood there, looking after the man that had just abruptly, unexpectedly re-entered their lives.

"Whoa..." Tabitha stated as they finally moved and began to head back. "I mean, just... he was just... _here_. Wasn't he? I didn't dream that, did I?"

"If you did, then I had the same dream."

Tabitha sighed contentedly, the looked up worriedly at Jim. "Uh... we're going to have to explain some things to the others."

"Yeah... that'll be interesting," Jim said as he took a deep breath.

The couple arrived back at the ship and walked to the group of friends. They were already congregated, apparently all finished with their assignments, and talking in hushed voices.

"...got to be him. Who else could it be?" Graham was finishing saying.

"Who else could who be?" Tabitha asked.

Graham turned around sharply, then relaxed and addressed Jim instead. "That man back there... was that... Silver?"

"How do you know about Silver?" Tabitha asked almost defensively.

"Jim told me," Graham replied as if this should be common knowledge.

"It had to be, Graham. How many cyborgs do you think they know?" Rylee said.

"Wait, you know too?" Jim questioned.

"Tabitha told me," she shrugged. "... and then I kind of told Cason."

"And Cason told me," Landon said.

"August and I didn't know," Theodore stated. "... until just now when they all told us about it."

"Okay, wait, wait - what do you all know about him?" Jim asked.

"Not much," August shrugged. "He took care of Tabitha after she was orphaned, he was your superior on the Legacy, he's a cyborg, more specifically the one Billy Bones told you to beware and the one who mutinied the voyage."

"Well... guess you know all the major stuff anyway," Tabitha shrugged.

"And now _I_ know who not to tell secrets too," Jim said, eying his friends. "Yes, it was Silver. He's going to be our cook now and - "

"What?!" the rest of the group shouted in horror.

"He's a pirate!" Cason said. "What are you thinking?"

"Yeah, no offense Jim, I realize your the captain and all, but do you really think that's a good idea?" Theodore asked nervously.

"Easy, guys," Tabitha calmed them. "We can trust him. Yes, Silver was the pirate in charge of the mutiny on the Treasure Planet voyage, but... he was like a father, to both of us. In the end, he gave up all of that treasure he'd spent years trying to find to save our lives. And he gave Jim the money to rebuild the inn - "

"Which also paid for this boat," Jim added. "So he's kind of the financier."

"Yeah, but... how do you know he's still, like, good?" Rylee questioned.

"Look, don't worry about it," Jim snapped. "I don't care if you trust him, I do, and he's coming with us."

The group of friends nodded silently, taken aback my Jim's heated tone.

"Sorry..." Landon apologized. "We didn't mean to sound so accusatory."

"I know," Jim sighed apologetically. "Sorry, I know it must sound crazy from your point of view."

"It does, but if he means that much to you guys," Graham said with a smile. "Then we're all for it."

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Well I don't care if you are, were, or are ever going to be a pirate. You cook like that and as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to stay as long as you want," Cason said, stretching after the huge dinner they had just consumed.

"Why t'hank ya lad," Silver chuckled.

The current dinner group left, murmuring their agreement on how great the food had been, and headed up to the deck to get the others.

"Thanks again for coming with us, Silver," Tabitha said as she cleaned the dishes. "I really have missed you."

"Well, I missed ya too, lass," Silver said as he served up more bowls of his famous bonzabeast stew.

"And I don't know if you've had a chance to talk to Jim yet, or if he would even tell you if you did... but he missed you a lot too," Tabitha dried her hands and turned back around to face Silver. "I'm not sure you know how much you meant to him."

Silver paused and faced her. "If I mean nearly as much to tha' boy as he does t' me, then I know."

"Good," Tabitha smiled, happy to know that they were in agreement.

Jim, Rylee, August, and Theodore all came thundering down the steps to the galley. They rushed to grab their bowls, Jim taking a little more time than the others by pausing to smile at Tabitha. Tabitha smiled back then started to head up the steps.

"Oh, and Silver?" Tabitha said as she turned around one more time. He looked up to her and she continued. "What happened to that old eyeball trick?"

Jim laughed, and August questioned the comment. "What eyeball trick?"

No sooner had he spoken, then an eyeball floated to the top of Rylee's bowl. Rylee shrieked as if she had just seen a ghost and dropped the bowl to the floor. Their was a momentary pause, then everyone burst into a fit of laughter. Rylee crossed her arms angrily and picked up her bowl to re-serve herself.

"Oh, I'm sorry lass, but that had t' be the bes' reactions I've ever seen!" Silver said to Rylee as he poured her another bowl.

**--Tabitha's POV--**

I shook my head. _I should have known - he _always_ did that trick._

Still giggling, I made my way up to the deck. I paused long enough to take in a deep breath of the cool air, then smiled as I took my place at the fo'c'sle. It was really only a precautionary measure that I keep watch. Neither Montressor nor Kinapis were known to be the harbor of many pirates, so their was little danger of being attacked by them. They were also both peaceful planets, so no chance of somehow becoming involved with battleships. I didn't mind though - it felt so good to be back out, traveling through space. I had almost forgotten how much I loved the feeling that came with it; It was addicting. And besides, being on watch gave me a chance to be alone with my thoughts for a little while.

There were several things that had been fighting to occupy my mind. For example, Jim - _was the Doc right? Had Jim really been planning to... propose? _My heart fluttered at the very word. _Me and Jim... married._ The idea seemed amazing, but somehow terrifying. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. _He's perfect- charming, handsome, daring, brilliant, charismatic, and so many other things that are impossible to explain._ I was attracted to him in every way, shape, form, and emotion imaginable. Marriage though... it was just a scary thought. _That's a _really_ big step, not to mention all the repercussions and expectations that would come along with it...._ My heart fluttered again, this time in a more worried way. I took another deep breath, and shook away those thoughts. _It's too soon to think about it right now. All of this is hypothetical. Maybe he's not planning on proposing at all._ That time I felt my heart fall. _But I want him too..._

I shook my head and sighed and gave up trying to predict the future. Instead I focused on the past - that dream I had had last night. _What was that about?_ It had started off just like that night when Silver saved me, except Silver wasn't there. He never came. _Maybe it was just because you've missed him so much._ But then there was the second part, when the man was gone and there was that voice... the voice that kept telling me he wouldn't come. _What was that voice? Whatever it was, it was wrong because Silver's here now. _That thought at least was reassuring; Silver was back... he had come, he did care. _Maybe it was really just a nightmare..._

I took another deep breath and stared out into space. I didn't have any answers.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

**--Jim's POV--**

"So, you an' Tabby, eh?"

I looked up at the statement. Silver was wearing his familiar smirk.

"Yeah..." I compulsively ran my fingers through my hair.

Silver chuckled. "I knew the two o' ya were made fer each other."

I smiled. It was good to be back around Silver. After all this time, nothing had really changed. _I still can't believe he's back._ I was half convinced that Tabitha had been right, that this was all a dream. Since I'd found out I'd made captain, everything felt surreal. _Three years ago, I never would have expected any of this to happen... at least not until Silver came into the picture, not until he encouraged me the way he did.  
_

"Ya love her?"

I blanched at the suddenness of the question. "W-well I... yeah."

"Have ya told her?"

"Yeah."

"An' she returned it?"

"Yeah..." Now I was getting nervous. Where was he going with this?

But he said nothing, just nodded in understanding. I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief that the interrogation hadn't continued any farther when he asked the next question.

"Ya gonna ask her t' marry ya?"

I can only imagine what my face looked like when he said that. A thousand different feelings coursed through me at once - surprise, embarrassment, happiness... - and all of them showed on my face. By the end of the emotional rush, I knew I was blushing bright red.

"I-I..."

Silver raised his eyebrows at me and crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.

I sighed and finally managed to explain, "I want to..."

"Then why don't ya, lad?" Silver said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"No, Silver, it's not that simple," I hopped off the bench and walked to the other side of the room. "There's a lot more to it."

"Like wha'?" he challenged.

I walked back over to the other side of the room. "Okay... like how do I know that I'm ready? I-It's _marriage_ - its a big deal."

"If ya t'ought abou' it this much an ya still want to, then yer ready," he explained easily.

"And then there's what comes after you get married. A family? I-I'm not..."

I continued to pace the room as I tried to end that sentence. _I'm not what? Ready? Capable?_ I knew what the problem was - my dad. What if I'm just like him? What if I just... leave? But another part of my mind argued. _Leave? Leave Tabitha? Your family? You wouldn't. You're different. You are not your father. You'd be good, you'd be there._ The words of Captain Amelia, Doc, and Tabitha flashed through my head. _They all think you're going to be a good father... and they're right._

"Soun's to me like yer tryin' to plan out yer whole life," Silver shook his head. "An' I'll tell ya righ' now there's no way tha' ya can. Ya just gotta take it one t'ing at a time."

_He's right - you can't predict your entire future. It's going to be a long time before I have to worry about that._ "Well... th-there's the whole issue of actually _asking_ her. It should be... I don't know, special or something..."

"If ya think tha' Tabby's gonna care at all abou' when or where or how ya do it, then maybe ya shouldn't marry 'er cause ya don't know 'er at all," Silver laughed. "She won' be expectin' somethin' romantic or any t'ing like tha'. Jus' be hones' wit' her, tha's all she wants from ya."

I was down to my final concern, the thing that worried me the most about this whole thing, the thing that made my stomach churn to even consider it as a possibility...

"What if she says no?"

I had barely dared to whisper it, but Silver heard. He froze and turned around to face me, his demeanor more serious now.

"Lad, sit down an' stop pacin, yer makin me nervous," Silver ordered.

I obeyed and sat down with a huge sigh. I didn't really how anxious I had been about all of this until I'd said it out loud.

"Now see here, Jimbo. Ya already tol' me yer in love wit' her, so calm yerself," he said authoritatively.

"Yeah, but - "

"No buts! If the lass loves ya half as much as ya love her, t'ere's no way in the Etherium she'd dare t' say no t' ya."

My heart skipped a beat at the hope. _He's right - you love her, you want to be with her forever... ask her._

"Thanks," was the only thing I could think of to say. "For listening. I really needed to talk to someone."

Silver chuckled. "Well, I know how ya feel. Been there me self, in fac'."

That statement surprised me - Silver didn't really seem like the settling down type. "You were married?"

"Nope."

"But you said - "

"But I wanted t' be," he ended. "I was jus' like ya - young, dumb, and scared half out o' me wits."

For a second, I was offended... then I realized that was a pretty accurate description of me right now.

I felt bad for starting this, but now I had to know. "What happened?"

"Didn't ask her. Never go' up the courage t' tell her..." Silver said staring off into space.

I wasn't sure what to do or say; this was obviously a tense subject, one that I probably shouldn't have brought up.

Silver looked back up at me suddenly. "Don' miss yer chance."

I stood up and nodded, baffled by the entire conversation and the odd turn it had taken. I started to leave, and was about halfway up the steps when he added something else.

"An' she's gonna say yes."

_That was all the motivation I needed._

When I reached the deck, I found that Landon had already taken over Tabitha's watch position. _Good thing - I'm sure she's tired._ I made my way to the hallway that housed the three bedrooms that were separate from the crew's quarters. After much arguing against it, the bedrooms had finally been designated to Silver, Tabitha, and I. I of course ended up with the captain's quarters, though I didn't even want them. For a trip like this, I didn't need a huge stateroom plus a bedroom. But everyone had been adamant about me having it, so finally I had given in.

As I walked past Tabitha's door, I hesitated.

_I could just do it now... I could just ask her._

I reached out to the door, then withdrew my hand.

_No, not yet._

I bypassed her completely and headed to my own room. I shut the door behind me and just stood there, debating whether to turn around.

_Just go back and do it! It's just like Silver said..._

I started pacing again. I thought I had been fine after Silver's pep talk, but now that I'd been left alone to my own thoughts again, I was as tense as ever.

_Maybe you're not ready._

_No! I am._

I knew this was what I wanted, but I was just... too scared. I laughed out loud at the thought.

_Scared. Sure, I can be fearless against an exploding star and pirate attacks, but when it comes to asking Tabitha to marry me..._

I stopped walking and just stood there again.

_No. It's not right. Not yet, not tonight._

I was waiting for the opportune moment - the moment it felt right, like it was the thing to do. Sure, I could just go do it now, but something inside me persuaded me to believe that this needed to be perfect, and barging into her room in the middle of the night after she was already asleep didn't really seem that way.

_When the timing's right, I'll do it._

I walked into the bedroom and undressed down to a shirt and boxers, the whole time willing myself to think of anything else, anything that wasn't this stressful. I tried to concentrate, but every thought led back to how nervous I was. I was so distracted that it didn't even register with me when Tabitha shouted from the other room, not until she called my name.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

**--Tabitha's POV--  
**

I didn't even remember falling asleep. I'd been so tired mentally - from focusing on all the redundant thoughts that had spent the last few hours circulating through my head - and physically - because I hadn't gotten any sleep last night and now I'd been awake over eighteen hours straight - that when Landon took over my watch, I just wandered down to my room, took off my boots, and flopped onto the bed still fully dressed.

I had no trouble at all falling asleep. I'd convinced myself earlier that I wasn't going to have another nightmare. _The dream was about Silver not being there for you. Now that he's back, you won't have anymore bad dreams._

But I was wrong.

_I was alone, back in the alley. It was pitch black again, and I felt like the darkness was absorbing all the air around me. Every breath I took was shallower than the last._

_I could here whispers of people around me, but I couldn't see anyone._

_"Hello? Silver?"_

_"He can't hear you..."_

_Yes he can._

_"He doesn't care..."_

_Yes he does! He came back. He is here. _

_I wanted to yell, but my body wouldn't respond to my commands._

_The whispers got louder and more frantic._

_Then suddenly, there was a figure in front of me. I could barely make out the outline, but there was definitely someone there._

_"Don't trust him..."_

_No. I do trust Silver._

_"You can't believe him..."_

_About what?_

_I couldn't say anything. All I could do was listen to the whispers that surrounded me and the voice of the figure in front of me._

_"He's not what you think he is..."_

_Finally I managed to meekly say, "I do trust him. I'd trust Silver with my life."_

_"No!" The figure said as he grabbed me by roughly by the soldiers._

_I couldn't help it - I screamed. I couldn't fight though, the figure had complete control over me. It felt like he was somehow restraining every inch of me._

_"Don't..."_

_"No!" I shouted over the figures next warning.  
_

_The whispers all ceased at once, and it let go of me. It was completely silent, until someone, or something, said my name._

_"Tabitha."_

I started awake. That voice, it had sounded somehow familiar, but the way it had said my name scared me. It felt like a threat. I wasn't as shaken up as I had been last night, but I was still altogether terrified. There was something eerie about it, something beyond a normal nightmare. It left me feeling uneasy and sick with panic.

I did the only thing that I could think of.

"Jim!"

I didn't know what time it was, or if he was even anywhere near me, but it was all I could do. My breathing was heavy, and I felt like my entire body was on fire; I could feel the heat radiating off of me.

"Tabitha?" Jim questioned as he opened my door a crack.

"Jim..." I still couldn't formulate complete thoughts, or force myself to say anything. It was like the dream had taken over my whole psyche.

"What is it? Are you alright?" he asked concernedly, coming fully into the room.

"I-I had another nightmare." Only now did I realize how stupid I sounded. _I'm not five - I don't need to call out to someone just because of a bad dream._

Jim however looked worried and came to sit down on my bed. "Was it the same one you had last night?"

"No... but it was similar."

"Well you don't look as scared as you did last night. That's good." He reached out and brushed my hair out of my face, then looked at me alarmed. "But you're burning up. Are you sick?"

"No. At least I don't think so."

Jim ignored my reply and walked over to the water basin to wet a washcloth. He pressed the cool fabric to my forehead. "Here. Just try to cool off."

I took the cloth from him and held to my face. "I'm sorry about this... did I wake you up?"

"No, and don't apologize," he consoled.

"It's just that I realize how childish I must sound, calling for help over a bad dream."

Jim shook his head reassuringly. "No, I can tell it really upset you... Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? It might help."

I shook my head. I wasn't sure why - I really had no reason not to inform him of the strange dream - but something kept me from telling him. For some reason, it felt like I needed to keep it a secret.

"Okay," he nodded understandingly. "Do you need anything else?"

"No."

_Except I'm a complete scaredy cat and I don't want you to go._ He kissed my forehead and started to leave. A debate raged on in my head between whether I would sound stupid and immature for asking him to stay, or if I should just do it because I was scared and it was comforting to have him here. The latter won by a long-shot.

"Jim?" I called as he reached the doorway and turned around. "W-will you stay with me... again?"

He shut the door and smiled. "If you want me to, then of course."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a hassle. I don't want you to lose sleep over me or anything so - "

"Tabitha, it's fine, really," he said as he sat back down on the edge of the bed. "I don't mind at all. I love sleeping with you."

Jim blushed immediately, and I couldn't hold in the laugh that escaped me.

"Th-that is... I mean I like... _staying _with you. Not, you know..."

I kissed him to stop his stammered explanation, then shifted over to give him space. He smiled and laid down, and I put my head on his chest.

"Thanks, Jim," I whispered.

"You're welcome. I love you."

I smiled, and quickly drifted to sleep in the comfort of his arms.

**0o0o0o0o0o0**

Jim and Tabitha had both had the privilege of sleeping in the next day, and so had only been awake a couple of hours when they arrived at their destination late afternoon.

They decided the best thing to do would be to just go eat somewhere; there wasn't enough time to do any sightseeing or anything like that, and it was dinner time anyway. Silver had agreed easily, saying he didn't mind a break from cooking for once. They headed to some place that August proclaimed had "the best foods this side of the Lagoon Nebula". After ordering, they were each given a glass of champagne - a splurge paid for my Silver - to toast with.

"T' Jimbo, the bes' young cap'n ever t' sail the winds of the galaxy," Silver proclamined.

"To Jim," the other murmured as they clinked their glasses.

"And to all of you," Jim added. "A good crew, and even better friends."

They drank again, and Tabitha added, "And to Silver - I'm so glad your finally back."

"And I'm so glad your our cook," Cason added, making everyone laugh.

"And t' ya, lass," Silver said. "Tabitha Alexander - the bes' cabin girl I ever had - "

"The _only_ cabin girl you ever had," Tabitha interrupted jokingly.

" - A grea' singer, an' a grea' doctor."

"Cheers!" The group said merrily.

They laughed at their exaggerated toasting. They were happily enjoying themselves when they were interrupted.

"Excuse me?"

The entire table turned around to face the stranger. He was a tall man, medium build. He looked like he could have been clean shaven, but had circles under his eyes and a general bedraggled look. His black hair was oily, as if he needed a shower, and his shirt and pants were worn.

"Your name is Tabitha?" the man asked Tabitha.

"Yes..." she said uncomfortably.

"Tabitha Alexander?"

"Y-yes."

"Oh! I can't believe it! After all this time!" the man burst out excitedly. "I can't believe I finally found you! Here... of all places!"

"Found me?" Tabitha shifted nervously. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Jim was wearing a scowl that made it clear he was not okay with this new strangers presence.

"Yes! Finally!" the man said, apparently oblivious that Tabitha had no idea what he was talking about. "Oh you must come with me! We'll have so much to discuss!"

The man reached out and grabbed her arm. Jim hurriedly stood up and pushed it away, stepping between the two of them defensively. The man surveyed Jim, looking taken aback, then smug, then pleasant all in a matter of a few seconds.

"Hello," he said pleasantly.

"What do you want with Tabitha?" Jim asked darkly.

"I simply wanted to catch up on old times. I've been looking for her for ages, and now - " the man paused, then looked back at her in shock. "I just can't believe it... You're really Tabitha Alexander?"

"Aye, she's Tabitha," Silver jumped in, looking just as displeased with the whole situation as Jim. "Would ya kindly tell us who ya are?"

"Oh good heavens, yes. I'm Bryne, Ivan Bryne."

The group stared blankly at the man, so he added, "I was friends with your parents."

This was a little intriguing to Tabitha, but she still didn't understand what this man wanted with her. Finally, he stated:

"I'm your godfather."

* * *

**Ooh... interesting.**

**Sorry if this chapter kind of skipped around a lot. I was trying to get on with the story and I just kind of got fed up... anywho, I still like how it turned out.  
**

**Please leave comments! I can't wait to hear what you think, too!  
**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Comments+**

**23jk: Well that's good! And this chapter certainly was pretty long, so I guess you were right. I'm so glad that you keep loving it more!**

**anon: Thanks!**

**Horsygirl 96: The best author on fanfiction? ... WHOA. That is a seriously amazing comment. And then you went and added that it was better than a lot of PUBLISHED BOOK?! I'm a bookaholic too, so that was a huge compliment to me. I'll keep updating regularly as long as you keep being one of my biggest fans :)  
**


	22. The Reddend Fortune

**Heads up: I'm going to be doing some slight revamping on the past two or three chapters, especially the last one (I forgot Morph! How could I forget Morph!? ...probably because I'm usually writing these stories at like 1 in the morning.) Anyways, I won't change anything major, I just want to make it sound better. Remember how I said I wasn't in "the zone"? Well I am now (Yay!) which means I'm going to go back and fix a few things, just to perfect them.  
**

**So, here's the explanation you've been waiting for since the very beginning...  
(I hope it's not confusing... If it is, let me know, and I'll explain/fix it.)**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

  
--Tabitha's POV--**

_What? _Had I just heard right?_ My godfather?_

A million questions raced through my mind: _Who are you again? How did you know my parents? Where the hell have you been the past 8 years?_ But I didn't ask anything. I sat there, staring at him. A quick glance around showed that the rest of the table was all frozen in mid-action, just as stunned as I was.

The stranger - er, Ivan - cleared his throat. "Do you not remember me?"

"No? Should I?" The question had sounded harsh, but I didn't care. I wanted an explanation. Morph flew over and hovered beside me, squeaking anxiously.

"Well I thought you might... but then you were very young, only 3 if I remember correctly..."

A memory flashed through my mind: _A day at the spaceport with my mom and dad... they had bumped into an old friend from school... _

"Well obviously she doesn't. So unless you - " Jim said, still standing tensely between me and Ivan.

"No, wait," I interrupted, standing up now too. "I think I do remember."

Jim turned around and looked at me surprised, but I kept my gaze locked with Ivan.

"At the spaceport... I was three..." I started.

"Yes! You were with your parents, riding on your father's shoulders as I recall," he said excitedly.

"Yeah... you went to school with them."

"Yes, Sam and Melody, same graduation class as myself. They were good people..." he looked forlorn.

_He has to be the real thing - he remembers details about that day from 15 years ago, he knows my parents names... This is weird._

"Your parents never told you that you had a godfather?" he asked, completely ignoring Jim's presence and stepping closer to me.

"No. They never really told me anything..."

"Well surely they must have told you _something_!" he insisted, looking surprised. "About your... family history?"

I shook my head, and looked down at Morph. The way he paused halfway through the question, as if he was searching for the right word, caught my attention, but I didn't know what to say. I had no idea what he was talking about.

Ivan sighed, sounding a bit aggravated. _Excuse me? You suddenly just bust into _my_ life, and _you're_ the one who's aggravated?_

"Did they by any chance give you a pocket watch?" Ivan asked.

I started. _How is that of any significance? _"Yes."

"But they didn't tell you anything about it?" he said, still trying to piece together what I did and didn't know.

"She's already told ya they didn't. Are ya gonna make yer point or no?" Silver intervened. He looked just as tense as Jim; It was good to know I wasn't the only person who thought this wasn't... normal.

"I don't know what to say," Ivan stated. "She doesn't know... anything."

"Well since I'm so clueless, why don't you tell me whatever it is my parents supposedly should have," I said, sounding more upset than I'd meant to.

He put his hands out in a calming, defensive way. "Please don't be angry with me. I can explain everything - "

"Then start talking."

"It... Maybe we should go somewhere else to talk. Somewhere more private?" he suggested, trying not to overstep any boundaries.

I looked around the restaurant. My friends were all leaned in at the intrigue, and quite a few other people in the restaurant, including some of the waitresses and the bartender, were watching our table apprehensively.

"Why?" I asked.

He hesitated. "Does the name Reddend sound at all familiar to you?"

I heard August gasp behind me and turned to see him gawking at Ivan. Silver sat up straighter too, but said nothing. I looked to Jim next, but he just gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

"No, I - "

"We should take t'is conversin' elsewhere," Silver suddenly stated as he stood up from the table and threw down a few coins to cover the meal.

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad you agree with me." Ivan nodded appreciatively toward Silver.

Still unsure about the whole situation, the rest of our group stood up slowly. I had just enough time to look around and see the majority of the restaurant staring at us wide-eyed before Silver half-ushered, half-forced us out of the building.

"What is going on?!" I demanded.

"I promise I will tell you anything you want to know, but we need to be somewhere more secluded. Perhaps my room back at the Black Rail Inn?" Ivan suggested.

"Fine. The lot o' ya - get back to the ship," Silver ordered our friends.

"Why can't they come?" Jim asked, frustrated that Silver had ordered over him.

"Sorry, lad. Jus' trus' me on t'is... an' ya might ough' t' join t'em on - "

"No," Jim insisted vehemently before Silver could even finish the suggestion that he go back to. Jim narrowed his eyes at him, then turned to the everyone. "Go back to the ship."

Landon stared at Jim agape. "But Jim, we - "

"Just go," Jim fiercely over-enunicated.

Our friends looked offended and defeated as they left our sides. Rylee turned and looked at me questioningly, but all I could do was shrug and stare back at her apologetically.

"Morph, go with Rylee," I said, gently nudging the blob toward my friend.

Morph chirruped sadly and flew over to Jim to plead his case.

"Go, Morph, we'll be back soon," Jim backed me up.

Morph nodded then flew to Silver. "Back soon?" he repeated.

Silver nodded. The blob was reluctant to see Silver leave again after just recently getting him back, but he nuzzled him, then flew obediently to Rylee.

I turned back to Ivan and Silver. "Alright, let's get to the inn so you can tell me... whatever."

Without another word, they began to walk away. Jim and I followed tensely behind.

"Something's not right," Jim whispered when he thought we were a safe enough distance away from the pair.

"I know, but what are we supposed to do?"

Jim said nothing. I almost instinctively grabbed his hand before I realized that I had no interest in being affectionate at the moment. I was too agitated.

The inn was a short walk away but the heavy silence made it seem a lot longer. We finally reached his room, which seemed to be the perfect reflection of Ivan's looks - rundown, tired, and weary looking. Ivan locked the door behind us as we entered. Now extremely uncomfortable, I considered protesting, but then quickly realized I was hardly in any danger with both Silver and Jim there. Instead, I demanded answers... again.

"Okay, now that we're here, could someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Calm down, lass," Silver said, now surprisingly calm compared to how he had been a few minutes ago.

"I said I will explain everything, and I will," Ivan said, sitting down in one chair and gesturing for us to do the same. I sat down directly across from him, and Jim and Silver sat on either side of me, between me and Ivan.

"Now, where to begin..." he said, looking up to the ceiling thoughtfully. "I guess it would be best to start with what you already know about your family."

He turned his attention to me, and I tried to stammer an answer. "Oh. W-well, um... I know my parents names were Sam and Melody... a-and I had some other family members, or at least I did when I was ten, but I don't remember their names or anything... I-I'm not sure what else. What's so important about my family?"

"What do you know about the watch?" Ivan ignored my question.

"Nothing. My dad had it for... as long as I can remember. One day about a week before he died, he gave it to me for my birthday. He said he wanted me to have it because I always liked it."

"Well... that certainly leaves a whole lot of explaining for me to do." He turned and looked at Silver and Jim, as if suddenly realizing that they were there too. "I'm sorry, but we haven't been properly introduced. Who are you?"

There was an odd exchange between the two. Ivan was smiling, but there was something behind his eyes, like he knew something. Silver just glowered back at him.

"Jus' call me John."

"Alright, John," Ivan granted a nod. "And what is your relationship with Tabitha?"

"He's... practically my father," I explained carefully. Ivan was shocked, and looked back to Silver for confirmation.

"I saved 'er off t'e streets after 'er pap died and took 'er in since no on else did," Silver gruffly explained.

It looked like Ivan picked up on the guilt trip, because his smile fell and he shifted uncomfortably. Then he turned to Jim. "And you?"

"Jim Hawkins," Jim said, keeping his jaw set.

"Jim Hawkins? The same Jim Hawkins that discovered the map to Flint's Trove?" Ivan gaped at him.

"Um, yeah. If you're one of the people who actually believes me..."

"Of course I believe you! I don't understand how anyone couldn't. All those people who criticized and slandered yours and the others that were on that voyage's journey... it's unreal. How else could you explain everything that happened? Personally, I think that people were jealous - But I digress. You and Tabitha are...?"

"Dating," Jim supplemented.

"Is it serious?" he questioned casually.

I felt the heat rise to my face as I contemplated the best way to answer that.

"We've been dating for three years," Jim replied.

"Really now? Well then," Ivan said. "I didn't mean to pry, I only wanted to know how committed your relationship is."

I felt like I should say something to that, but I didn't know how to respond without increasing the already high level of awkwardness.

"They're abou' as committed as ya can get," Silver resolved.

I mentally thanked him for his accurate but vague description. I breathed a sigh of relief, as did Jim.

Ivan nodded in approval. "Very well then."

I decided to interrupt before there could be anymore distractions. "Look, I'm sorry, but I really don't understand what the point of this is. Why is my family so important? We weren't anybody special. We were just normal people."

"Ah, perhaps your father's side, the Alexander's, were, but your mother's side is a different story entirely. You see, the Reddends were - "

"Hold yer fire," Silver interrupted. "Ya mean t' tell me that Tabby here's o' direct relation to t'e Reddends?"

"Who are the Reddends?" I asked, annoyed that I still was not getting the answers I now so desperately wanted.

"Please," Ivan said, holding out a hand to silence both of us. "Yes, Tabitha's mother was named Melody Reddend - "

Silver scoffed, but Ivan ignored it and kept his focus on me.

" - though everyone knew her as Melody Tanning. I'll explain, just wait," Ivan interrupted me before I could ask anymore questions. "The Reddends are a notorious family of pirates, feared by anyone and everyone. They were selfish, ruthless, and merciless, the kind that would just as soon attack a family outing as a merchant ship of solar crystals. They stole everything they could get there hands on."

"See, the pirating business was passed down through several generations, each adding to the sum of treasure that the last had created, slowly growing it into quite an expansive fortune - the Reddend Fortune. And so it continued, passed down from son to son, until it reached your grandfather. He, that is to say your mother's father, never had a son to pass it down to, and he was hardly going to pass it down to your mother. He may have been a pirate, but he loved your mother very much and didn't want to put her in any danger. He knew that if she were to take over the family business, so to speak, she would be at a higher risk of being attacked because of the lack of fear people would show towards a woman."

I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from objecting. Jim noticed my irritation and squeezed my hand under the table comfortingly.

"So, he planned a... a disappearing act of sorts," Ivan continued. "When his wife passed away, he dispatched his crew, took Melody, and vanished without a trace. Some thought he had died, others suspected that he had simply moved, but no one had any idea where he was. The real issue wasn't what had happened to him, it was what had happened to the treasure. He would have had no way to take it with him where he went, so wherever it had been hidden, that's where it still was. Your grandfather's brother, your mother's uncle, was the only person left still going by the name "Reddend", but he wasn't pirating. Of course he was questioned many a time about the whereabouts of his brother, but he was just as clueless as the rest of the galaxy. Your grandfather and mother, meanwhile, had moved to Lacuna and renamed themselves 'Tanning'."

"Yeah, I know Lacuna. That's where I grew up," I told him.

"Well then you know that it was a small, not very advanced planet, so no one ever expected them to be anything but who they said they were. Your grandfather started over, working a regular job and sending Melody to school, where she met your father, Samuel. They grew up together, but didn't start dating until high school. Your mother and father were in a committed relationship for several years before you were conceived. When you were, and it was decided that they would be married after graduation, Melody felt like she needed to confess to Sam who she really was, so she told him the whole story."

Ivan paused, giving me a moment to organize my thoughts - or try to at least - before he continued.

"Sam was very accepting of it... I guess he didn't realize how much things were going to be affected by it in the long run."

"What do you mean?" I carefully questioned.

"Well, it was all down hill from that point on. When your parents approached your grandfather and he found out that not only was she pregnant and engaged, but that she had also told Sam their secret, he was outraged. He disowned her on the spot, saying that she had sabotaged all of his hard work to keep their family a secret and protect her. Melody was heartbroken, but there was nothing she could do but accept it. He died a few months after you were born. He discarded her from his will completely but for two things - the pocket watch that you now have, and a note with an explanation of why she needed it."

"Which was...?" I asked.

"I don't know."

I slammed my hands on the table impatiently. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean, that even Melody didn't know. No one did. The explanation was vague and coded, not a straightforward answer. They spent months trying to figure out it's purpose, and eventually did when you were about a year old."

"Well what was it?" Jim asked, now sounding more involved than angry.

"According to them, once you get to wherever the fortune is hidden, the watch is the key to all the answers."

"What - " I started.

"Again, I don't know. Those were they're exact words they said to me - 'The watch is the key to all the answers.' After they figured out that, they decided to go back to your grandfathers house and try to find anymore information they could about the whereabouts of this fortune. They found a few things, but not enough to figure out an exact location of the treasure, only to come up with some vague ideas."

"A few days after I ran into them at the spaceport, the time you remember, Tabitha, when you were three, they came to me and asked me to be your godfather. I agreed, and they explained to me everything I have just told you - from how she was a Reddend to how they were trying to put together all the pieces your grandfather had left behind. They were going to go on a journey to test some of the possible theories they had come up with, so they made me your godfather in case something happened to them."

"Sadly, they never got to go," he sighed. "A short time later, your mother fell ill and, as I'm sure you remember, quickly died."

"Well... couldn't my father have gone after her death? After all their work he didn't even bother?" I asked, now quite enraptured in the story of my past.

"I'm sure he would have, had it not been for Charlotte."

"Who?" Jim asked.

"Charlotte. She's my... second cousin?" I couldn't quite remember.

"Correct. She was your mother's cousin," Ivan nodded. "As fate would have it, when your mother died, Charlotte somehow found out about it. Do you remember when I mentioned your grandfather's brother earlier? Well, he was younger than your grandfather, and therefore did not inherit any of the fortune from their father. He was always envious of him and always after it, a trait which was apparently passed down to Charlotte. She came to him after your mother's funeral and demanded your father tell her where the fortune was. She said it should rightfully be hers since she was the last Reddend still living, but your father refused, saying it was rightfully yours, Tabitha."

"Mine?" I said surprised.

"Of course. You may have not had the surname, but you still had the blood, and since your mother had all the clues, and it had been given to her father, not Charlotte's, it was your inheritance. That was why you father refused so adamantly, at least at first. Somehow though, Charlotte persuaded him to try and help her figure out the clues. I'm almost positive she must have threatened him, for he was determined to figure them out, even if it meant that she would get the treasure."

"Wait... all that time my dad spent working? Was that... was he working on this?" I could feel my emotions starting to flutter, by I tried to keep the lid on them.

"Well, he had a job too, but yes he spent several hours daily on this mystery, as demanded by Charlotte. Every time they came up with a new idea of the location of the fortune, Charlotte would go test it - she didn't trust your father enough to send him - and each time she came back empty handed. They worked on it for years... until your father died." He paused, then sarcastically added, "You can also thank Charlotte for the reason you were pursued for so many years."

"I was being pursued?" I asked, sounding more frightened than I really wanted to.

Ivan looked at me completely stunned. "You really didn't know anything about your past, did you? When your father died, Charlotte... let slip that the heirs to the Reddend fortune were dead, save for one girl named 'Alexander', who had all the clues to where the fortune was hidden."

"But I didn't have the clues! And that's my last name, not - "

"I know that, and she knows that, and if I had to guess I'd say she was probably drunk off her rocker when she told people that. The treasure hunt that had begun when your grandfather first disappeared suddenly restarted, though this time, they were trying to find you. You were the key to one of the greatest fortunes still left in the galaxy. But, as word got around, most of the people who heard 'Alexander' assumed it to be a boy's first name. Some also searched for a girl by the name of 'Alexandra', assuming that the name had just been misinterpreted. Very few people thought to consider it a last name because they assumed your last name would be Reddend, and nobody as far as I know was looking for someone named 'Tabitha'. All in all, there were probably hundreds, maybe thousands, of people looking for you on the completely wrong basis of information, which I'm assuming is why no one ever figured out you were you."

Ivan stopped again, then when nobody said anything, ended with, "That's all I know."

I was stunned. Now, every question I'd ever had about my family had just been answered in a matter of minutes, and I was completely overwhelmed, with sadness and happiness and anger and suspicion and curiosity, all combined into one giant lump in my throat that was pushing me closer to crying. I bit the inside of my lip again and forced myself not to. _I just can't believe this. It makes sense, but it seems so unbelievable. Me? The last descendant of a pirate dynasty? The heir to the legendary Reddend Fortune? _Jim grabbed my hand again and smiled reassuringly.

"So where 'xactly were ya when Tabby's pap died? Yer s'posed t' be 'er godfat'er an' ya weren' even t'ere to take care o'' her," Silver demanded.

For the first time, Ivan turned his full attention away from me to Silver. "And for that I am sorry. I arrived at her house the day after the funeral, but she was already gone. I did try to find her; Charlotte's house was the first place I went, but she had no idea what had happened to you. After that, I searched around locally, but no one knew anything about your whearabouts."

"If the Reddends were so notorious, why hadn't we heard of them? How is this any difference from Flint's Trove?" Jim asked skeptically.

"Flint's Trove is an old legend; it had enough time to be turned into a story and eventually became what most people assumed to be a myth. The Reddend Fortune is new. It hasn't had time to be turned to folklore yet, so unless you were an active spacer or avid adventure-seeker, you weren't likely to hear about it."

Done interrogating, everyone turned to look at me.

"So, what do you think?" Ivan asked.

I cleared my throat. "I-I don't know...I'm an heiress to a pirate fortune?"

"Yes, I suppose you could put it like that," Ivan chuckled.

"Well I don't know... what now?" I asked. "What do we do? I mean... should we go try to find it?"

Ivan smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that. If you want, I'd be more than happy to help you. When I went to Charlotte's house to find you, I learned that she had taken the clues that she and your father had been working on. I checked back with her about a year ago, and she still hadn't made any progress. She's useless trying to figure out the clues on her own, as am I, but I'm sure with your help we could figure everything out. After we figure that out, it's just a boat ride away. And once we get there, you've got the watch. If you want to attempt it, there's nothing holding us back."

"Well I - "

"We'll let ya know," Silver hastily stopped me. I started to speak up again, but Silver gave me a pointed look.

"Yeah... we'll get back to you, I guess..." I stared questioningly at Silver, but he didn't give me any explanation.

_Or, we could just go now, like I was about to say. I'm ready - I want to go. It's owed to me, and I'm ready to start looking for it. Let's go. _My parents had wanted to find it, but hadn't been able to. If nothing else, I felt like it was my responsibility to finish what they started. After all the heartache my mom went through, and all the sacrifice my father made... I could feel that thirst for adventure start to bubble up inside me, my blood start to boil with anticipation. Somewhere out there, there was a fortune with my name on it, and I wanted to find it.

Ivan stood up from the table and walked us to the door. "I understand. But just so you know, I'll be leaving here tomorrow."

"We'll send ya an answer either way in t'e mornin'," Silver said as we left.

I started to walk down the hallway but stopped. "Thank you, Ivan. I'm... glad I got to meet you."

"And I you," he smiled and shut the door.

* * *

The group of teens sat in a stunned silence around one of the tables in the galley when Tabitha finished her story.

August was the first to speak to her. "I can't believe you're a Reddend."

Theodore turned to his brother. "I can't believe you've actually heard of the Reddend's before tonight."

"Yeah, well, you guys aren't the only ones who are shocked," Tabitha laughed.

"Heir to a fortune, huh? I knew there was a reason I was friends with you," Rylee teased.

"We're going to go find it, right?" Landon asked.

"If everyone wants to," Tabitha shrugged happily. "And if Jim agrees."

Everyone turned to Jim, who grinned. "Fine by me."

They all whooped and cheered. Tabitha smiled brightly and exchanged glances with Jim. He recognized that look in her eyes; it was the same one he'd discovered the map to Treasure Planet, the look that said you'd finally found your destiny, and you were going after it no matter what.

Silver wasn't cheering. He wasn't even smiling. He was leaned against the counter, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Come on, Silver! It's not Flint's Trove, but it's still treasure," Jim joked.

Silver looked up, but still didn't crack a smile. Keeping his voice level and serious, he said, "I need t' speak wit' Tabitha and Jim alone."

Everyone stopped celebrating. They silently stood and left, casting glances back and forth between all of us. This is the second time tonight they'd been thrown out, but none of them were very inclined to argue their right to be there with a pirate/wanted felon/cyborg. As the door finally shut when the last of them left, Silver stood up and walked over to where Tabitha and Jim were still seated, side by side. Jim sat up from his relaxed position of having his arm around Tabitha. They straightened up and faced Silver, nervous about whatever it was he wanted to say.

"I know yer both gonna object t' wha' I'm 'bout t' say, but hear me ou'," he began. "I know that yer t'e cap'n, Jim, and it's yer treasure, Tabitha, so ya got the righ' to go after it if ya wan', but were up t' me, I wouldn' let ya."

"Why not?" Tabitha asked quietly.

Silver sighed and sat down across from us. "I don' trust 'im."

Jim scoffed, and Silver and Tabitha both turned to look at him.

"Look, Silver," Jim struggled to figure out a non-offensive way to say it. "You're... you weren't trusted either, but... you turned out okay."

"Tha' don' mean ev'ryone's goin' to. Tha' story seemed a li'l too suspicious fer my likin'. I don' like t'e idea of tryin' to find t'is supposed fortune with - "

"This fortune? How is this any different from Flint's Trove?" Tabitha sounded really upset. "You spent years trying to find it. It wouldn't hurt us to - "

"Tabby, ya know tha's not t'e same. I spent years tryin' to find t'e map tha' led us straight t' the treasure. All ya got's some vague ideas tha' have been half pieced togethe' an' a watch. T'at's hardly 'nough to be beginnin' a voyage on."

Tabitha's face fell with disappointment. Jim looked ready to argue when Silver sighed and spoke again.

"Bu' I know t'at yer both stubborn, an' if yer set on goin', t'ere's nothin' I can do but join ya."

Tabitha's head shot back up to see Silver smiling knowingly at her. She ran to the other side of the table and flung her arms around him. "Thank you, Silver!"

"Yer welcome, lass," Silver chuckled.

"We have to go tell Ivan!" she shouted as she started to race from the galley.

"Easy t'ere. It's t'e middle o' t' e nigh'. Why don' we wait an' tell 'im in the mornin'," Silver suggested playfully.

"Oh, right," Tabitha laughed as she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. "Well, I'm going to go tell everyone else then!"

Tabitha started to race up the steps, but came back down. She rushed over and kissed Jim excitedly, then hugged Silver again. "Thank you!"

Jim laughed and ran his fingers through his hair as he stood up. "Well she's excited."

"Can ya blame 'er?"

"Nah, I think I know how she feels," Jim smiled. "Thanks, Silver."

"For wha', lad?"

Jim paused. "For being here. I'm sure you've probably guessed, but Tabitha missed you... a lot."

He started to leave, then paused and turned back to Silver. "It's like the _Legacy_ all over again."

"Certainly 'tis," Silver grinned. As Jim left the galley, his smile fell and he added under his breath:

"In more ways t'en you know."

* * *

**Hey look! A plot.  
Yeah, I know, the last few chapters were mostly stalling until now.**

**I hope you all still like it!  
Thank you so much for all of your reviews! They inspire me so much :)**

**Thanks!  
-Emily**


	23. A Pirate or A Martyr

**Hey everyone!**

**Sorry it took me FOREVER to post this chapter. I've realized that I've accidentally over time added to many elements to the plot I was going to use, so I've been having to weed some of them out and figure out which needed to stay, etc.**

**So, basically, from now on out, I'm winging it!  
(This should be interesting... I hope it works!)  
**

**Sorry this chapter isn't as long as I would have liked, but I've been swamped with school work.  
I'll do my best to post another chapter, and hopefully two, over the weekend.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Tabitha didn't sleep a wink that night. She was as energized as a solar sail when it catches the first beams of morning light. To say she spent the whole night tossing and turning would be putting it mildly.

Her heart refused to slow, as did her mind. She retold herself the story for the umpteenth time, and it still shocked her. She was pushed, pulled, towards this mystery and it was no longer curiosity that drove her, but destiny. The clues to her family were out there; her parents had tried to solve it, but circumstances kept them from it. It wasn't as if she'd felt like some piece of her had been missing and this was her chance to fill that gap; she'd been perfectly content, happy even, with her life. It was that now that she'd heard this story, and she knew about everything her parents had done to figure things out, yet still failed, she knew that she would never be satisfied unless she finished what they had started.

She lightly traced the engravings of her watch. It was odd to think that this small, tarnished, broken mechanism somehow "held all the answers." If for no other reason, she had to find this treasure solely to figure out what that meant. There were so many aspects to this new experience that were calling for her, so many things she was looking forward to. She assumed at some point she would be meeting Charlotte, the only family she knew she still had, and she was going to get to see the thing that had occupied her parents thoughts, particularly her father's, for so long.

She was excited, thrilled, anxious, but most importantly, she was ready.

Before she knew it, morning had dawned and the sea of ideas ceased. Tabitha, not caring how early it was, could stand it no longer. She rolled out of bed, threw on clothes, and went to the galley, where Silver was of course already awake.

"Mornin' Tabby," Silver greeted as he sliced up a variety of ingredients to be used in breakfast. "Since when d'ya get up t'is early?"

"Since I didn't go to sleep last night," she laughed.

"Ya excited?"

"How could I not be?

"Can't say I blame ya. Seems only natural ya'd be ready to take off on some adventure spur o' t'e moment, what wit' ya bein' a pirate an all," he winked.

"Born and raised," she added with a grin. ''It's all so unbelievable. First you show up, and then I meet my godfather, and then I find out about my family and the fortune and everything... And it's weird. Even though I just met Ivan - well, for the first time in about fifteen years anyway - I feel... connected to him, like a part of my parents live on with him. It's kind of like having family again."

"Tha's nice lass," Silver said, a tone of bitterness clearly expressed.

Tabitha was put off by his moodiness, until she realized what it must have sounded like to him. "Oh no, Silver, not that you weren't family enough. You know I see you like a father. It's just that... Ivan seems more connected to my past, and who I was before I met you."

"I understan'."

Silver still didn't seem pleased. Tabitha's shoulders sagged as she tried to figure out if she'd offended him, or what she should say. A thought suddenly occurred to her, about something that Silver had said the night before, something that she'd been to distracted to address then.

"Silver?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you... something?" she said quietly.

"Aye, lass," he said, keeping his back to her while he continued food preparations.

She hesitated. "You knew Ivan before last night, didn't you?"

Silver tensed and slowly turned around to face her."What makes ya t'ink t'at?"

"Just the way you acted."

Silver sighed heavily. "Aye, Ivan an' I used t' be... business partners of sorts."

"Why didn't - "

"Let's just leave it at t'at, lass," Silver cut her off. He sighed. "I jus' can' help wonderin' 'bout his motivations fer helpin' ya find t'is fortune."

"He's my godfather," Tabitha stated innocently.

"Yeah, guess 'e is..." he said, clearly expressing his opinion that that was not a good enough reason to trust him.

She bit her lip nervously; she didn't like the turn this was taking. "Silver... you'll still come with me, won't you? Even though you two aren't on the best of terms?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "O' course, Tabby."

She hugged him tightly. A bit surprised, he laughed and returned the hug.

"Did ya think I wouldn't?"

"I don't know. I just missed you so much..." she said as she separated and hopped onto the counter. "You were gone for so long, and I don't want to lose you again. I want you to stay."

"Well I plan on it," he said, turning back to fixing breakfast. "Someone's gotta keep an eye on ya kids, an' make sure ya don' starve."

They laughed just as Jim came trudging sleepily down the stairs, followed by a yawning Morph.

"'Morning," he yawned.

"Mornin', Jimbo," Silver said cheerily, casting away his previous solemnity.

"Good morning, Jim," Tabitha replied.

"Morning! Morning! Morning!" Morph repeated airily as he flew to each person.

Jim came to stand in front of Tabitha. He raised an eyebrow at her teasingly and asked, "What are _you _doing awake so early?"

"I didn't sleep last night."

Jim's smirk quickly disappeared as he began searching her face to see if her indifference was covering something he should be concerned about.

"I just had a lot to think about," she reassured. "I'm okay."

"Good."

As Jim leaned up to kiss her, Silver walked over and casually pushed Tabitha off the counter, causing both her and Jim to stumble.

"Hey!" the couple shouted.

"There'll be none o' tha' in me galley," he jokingly scolded the two.

"None o' tha' in me galley," Morph mocked.

The couple rolled their eyes and took their seats at the table instead.

"Morphy, I got a job fer ya," Silver addressed. Morph zipped over to him happily. "Go an' wake up t'e rest of t'e pups."

"Wake up!" Morph squealed. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

He repeated his mantra as he flew off.

"Are you just trying to make our friends mutiny?" Tabitha kid with Silver. She turned back to face Jim again, and found that his face was completely serious. "What?"

"Are you really okay?" he asked.

"_Yes_ Jim, I'm fine," Tabitha insisted.

"It wasn't that nightmare again, was it?" he asked in a low voice.

Silver's ears perked up at the question and he turned his attention to Tabitha. She shook her head at both of them. The nightmare had almost slipped her mind, but now it was back, accompanied by that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. She shook it away, regarding it as nothing but nerves, and answered the questioning stares of the men.

"It's just excitement. I mean, not just because it's a new adventure or a treasure hunt or something, but it feels like I was meant to do it... maybe it's weird, but it seems like something I _have_ to do... like I owe it to my parents or something. What... I mean, is that how you felt? When you found the map?"

"Well, sort of," Jim said, a touch of sadness in his voice. "For me, it was more of a chance to prove myself, and to make things up to my mom... I wanted to fix everything I'd messed up." He sighed and ruffled his hair out of habit. "But that was me," he shrugged. "What you said makes sense."

"So you don't think I'm absolutely crazy to try this?" She tilted her head down to stare at the piece of hair she was nervously twisting around her index finger.

"No, I don't think you're crazy," he smiled, brushing the hair that had fallen in front of her face away. She started to smile, but he continued. "I know you are."

Tabitha pushed him away but they both laughed. The other teens came tumbling groggily down the steps, adjusting their disheveled clothes and hair as they went, and looking none to happy about being woken up. Morph followed behind, still repeating the command to "Wake up!".

"Your protoplasmic alarm clock isn't exactly the most pleasant thing to wake up to," Landon commented as he adjusted the clothes he had obviously just put on.

"Alarm clock? That's nothing - I got a foghorn!" Cason complained, pulling on his own boots.

"Well you're a really hard sleeper," Rylee said informatively. She was the only one not fixing her appearance, and yet she looked as perfect as always.

"Yeah, you would know all about how Cason sleeps, wouldn't you?" Graham suggested a double entendre, earning himself a punch to the arm from Cason.

The rest of the group laughed as the couple's faces turned pink.

"Oh-ho. So I see t'ere's more t'an one pair o' lovebirds on t'is ship," Silver eyed Rylee and Cason, who both refused to meet the cook's gaze.

"They're newly hatched lovebirds," Landon explained.

"Lord, it's gonna be jus' like Jimbo and Tabby," Silver sighed. "T'ough ya couldn't 'ave 'ad two kids more clueless t'en t'em!"

"Hey!" Jim shouted, turning to face Silver.

Tabitha looked up to Silver wide-eyed too, but he only winked at them.

"What do you mean?" Cason asked, eying the couple in amusement.

"Well... he liked 'er from t'e very star', I could tell, but he wouldn't tell 'er, an' she denied 'aving any feelings toward t'e lad. An' t'ey was both as shy as t'ey come, always trippin' over t'ere words, Jim 'specially."

"You still do that," Tabitha whispered coyly to Jim, making his face redden as he remembered some his most recent and more embarrassing Freudian slips.

"Jim? And Tabitha? Shy?" Cason asked skeptically.

Silver nodded. "Could 'ardly look at each ot'er wit'out blushin' like a maiden - jus' like now, in fac'!"

They all turned to see the two in question and, sure enough, Jim was scarlet and Tabitha was becoming steadily rosier. The other teens couldn't help but laugh. Silver chuckled and handed out food to everyone.

"What are you doing?" Tabitha asked Silver in a frantic whisper.

"Jus' tryin' t' get t'em t' lighten up," Silver replied innocently.

"Fine," Tabitha relented. It would be good if they could just accept their relationship, and the taunting that came along with it.

"Just don't embarrass us," Jim added into their conversation.

"Alrigh'."

"So, Silver," Graham began. "What other shenanigans did these two get into?"

"Well... t'ere was tha' nigh' t'ey fell asleep together out on t'e deck. What was it ya were doin' out t'ere again?"

"Jim was showing me the shooting stars..." Tabitha mumbled, trying to feign indifference.

"Righ'..." Silver laughed heartily. "Ya shoulda seen t'e look on t'ere face t'e nex' morning when t'e captain, first officer, Doc, and meself woke 'em up."

"What happened?" August asked, trying to hold back laughter.

"Well, Tabby _claimed_ t'ey jus' fell asleep," Silver suggested. "It was more the fac' they were only half dressed an' asleep together - "

"Silver!" Tabitha cried.

"Wha'? That's how it was, lass!"

"You're making it sound scandalous!" she said with a frown.

"I-it was _not_ like that," Jim stuttered.

"Alrigh', alrigh'," Silver relented, putting up his hands in forfeit.

"Well look at you," Rylee said slyly to Tabitha. "Looks like I'm not the only one with reason to be blushing."

"Yeah, keep talking and I'll tell them things that will give you more than enough reason to blush," Tabitha challenged. Rylee wasn't about to call that bluff.

"Yeah, Jim, what is this?" Landon teased. "I've seen you blush before, but what's this about you being shy? Since when is James Hawkins shy?"

"W-well... she brings out that side of me..." Jim faded off, incessantly rubbing his neck in embarrassment. When the boys all laughed again, Jim stopped. "Shut up! It'll happen to you too one day. Just wait."

"Not me, Jimmy boy," Landon shook his head. "I'll leave the wooing to you and lover boy over here." He nudged Cason, who glared at the nickname.

"I's tryin' to say tha's how new matches are, so Casey and Ry here shouldn't be any differen'. Now I've evened up t'e playin' field a bit an' ya can't all team up on t'ese two," Silver said, ruffling Cason and Rylees hair.

"Uh, S-silver?" Rylee asked quietly as she observed her food warily.

"Aye, lass?"

She nervously poked at her food. "There aren't any eyeballs in these, are there?"

* * *

"So it's settled then?" Ivan addressed the group surrounding him at the table. "You will all go back to Montressor for a few days, and I'll sail ahead and meet up with Charlotte."

There was a general murmur of agreement.

"Okay. We leave first thing tomorrow," Jim told them.

"Great!" Tabitha said excitedly.

The group stood up together and, mumbling their goodbyes, began to depart. Tabitha paused and turned back to Ivan.

"Thank you, Ivan. For all of this."

"Not at all, Tabitha," he nodded politely. "It's my duty as your godfather."

Tabitha nodded and turned to leave.

"Did anyone ever tell you you look just like your mother?" he called after her.

She stopped, and slowly turned back around. "My dad did. Once, in a letter he wrote me."

"She was very beautiful."

"Yeah... I remember." She turned her head as if she was looking at something off in the distance.

Ivan walked to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You know your parents loved you very much, don't you? Everything they did was for you, Tabitha. All their time and effort, it was all for your benefit. You do know that?"

Tabitha had to bite back tears. "I miss them," she whispered.

Ivan didn't say anything. He just gave a sad sort of smile and nodded back to her sympathetically. She raised a hand as if to wave goodbye, then turned and walked out. Jim was waiting for her just outside the doorway.

"Hey, there you - what's wrong?" he asked, reading the sadness in her face.

"Nothing," she lied, refusing to look him straight on.

"You're crying." He grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop walking, but she still refused to face him. "What happened?"

No answer.

"Did Ivan do something to you?"

"No. I mean, yes, he said something, but it's not his fault - " she took a deep breath and looked up to avoid blinking, lest her tears begin to fall.

"Tabitha..." Jim began warily.

She looked down at her feet. This was not the time to cry, not right now, not in the middle of the street, not with Silver and all their friends in such close proximity. Not when she wasn't sure when she'd be able to stop once she started... She took a deep breath and faced him with a small smile. "I'm alright. Really."

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. "You _would_ tell me if something was really wrong, wouldn't you?"

She nodded. Jim wasn't even remotely convinced that she was as alright as she wanted him to believe, but she didn't seem inclined to talk about it right now. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, he simply kissed her forehead, and together they followed after their friends back to the ship.

* * *

Tabitha felt a twinge of guilt at not telling Jim what was going on with her lately . If she'd been asked why, she wouldn't have had a good reason. Maybe there was just something personal about all of this, something that, for now at least, she wanted to keep to herself. The only reason she hadn't told him about the nightmares was she was shaken, at first, then embarrassed that she would let something like a dream bother her that much. Sure, she was scared when she first woke up, but she was 18! That was much to old to be rattled to the point of tears over a dream. As for not telling him what Ivan said, it was because she didn't have an answer; she had no idea why she started crying. All he'd done was mention her parents, forced her to remember that note from her father... it shouldn't have made her so emotional. Blaming it on the fact that it was just because she was tired, she blocked it out of her mind. A good night's sleep and she'd be fine... unless the nightmares came back again.

Fear or no fear, guilt or no guilt, it took Tabitha no time at all to fall asleep when they got back to the ship that evening. She didn't even bother changing clothes; she laid down on the bed, her head touched the pillow, and in an almost instantaneous reaction, she was asleep.

Jim decided to stay close by that night. The unexplained nightmares, the lack of sleep from the night before, not to mention the fact that she'd been on the verge of crying for reasons unknown to him just before she went to bed, were reason enough for him to assume that she may not sleep well that night. He stayed in his room and left the door partly ajar so he could hear her if she called out.

He sat alone in his room for a while, enjoying the silence. When he was sure that everyone must have been asleep, he slipped the small velveteen box out of his bag. Sitting at his desk, he twisted it lightly between his fingertips. It was odd to think that such a small, seemingly insignificant box was weighing so heavily on him. He carefully folded open the top and observed its essence. The ring was perfect for Tabitha, he was sure of it. He'd known the instant he saw it. A silver band with a small aquamarine stone, offset with even smaller fire opals. It wasn't typical by any means, but it embodied Tabitha and their relationship to a tee - unexpected, harmonious, fiery, yet tranquil.

He pulled it out of the box delicately and twisted it so that the light reflected off of it in different ways. Then suddenly, there was knock at the door and, without waiting for an answer, Graham walked in.

"Hey, Jim, do you - " Graham stopped when he noticed Jim hastily trying to hide something in the drawer of his desk. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Jim answered quickly.

Graham raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

"Well then what was that?" Graham took a step closer.

"Nothing!"

Graham paused, then made a dash for the drawer. After a moment or two of fighting over the handle of the drawer, Graham finally managed to extract the object. He smiled in triumph at first, then he actually looked at what he was holding, and his eyes widened.

"Jim, is this...?"

Jim ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Yeah."

"And it's for...?"

"Yes."

"So you're going to...?"

"I... I-I think so."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I don't know," Jim took a deep breath. "I think I've had a hard enough time telling myself I'm going to do this, let alone someone else."

Graham's draw dropped and he shut the door behind him. "Well when did you decide this?"

"I-I... a few months ago?" Jim guessed.

Graham opened up the box. "Wow."

"Wow what? Good or bad?" Jim asked, the nervousness in his voice increasing steadily.

"Great," Graham congratulated. "It's perfect. When are you going to...?"

Jim sighed and fell backwards onto the bed. "As soon as I can."

Graham laughed and took over the chair Jim had been sitting in. "Scared?"

"Terrified."

"Need a pep talk?" Graham asked. "I'm sure we could talk Silver into giving you another one."

"Yeah, except he already did," Jim laughed.

"Whoa, if one of his famous talks didn't get you ready, I don't know what to tell you," Graham closed the box and handed it back to Jim. "Good luck! I'm really happy for you guys."

"Thanks." Jim smiled in gratitude and placed the ring back in his bag until a later date. "What did you come down here for?"

"Oh right. I was going to ask if you knew where Silver was going?" Graham questioned.

"No... Did he leave?" Jim sat back up looking confused.

"Yeah. I went to take over his watch and he said he had to take care of something and that he'd be back before morning and then he just left."

* * *

It didn't take Silver long to find the bar they were to meet at. It was your typical shabby building, antique sign handing on a rusty pole outside, smoky haze filling the inside, the perfect place for making devious deals, hints the low rumble of voices that didn't dare to speak above the hum of a whisper. The person he was looking for was in the farthest corner of the room, almost completely concealed by shadows.

Silver walked angrily over to the table, but remained standing. "Wha' d'ya want?"

Ivan leaned forward out of the shadows. "Please, sit down." He gestured towards the bench opposite himself.

Silver remained standing intimidatingly for a minute before he tensely sat down. "Wha'ever 'tis, I ain't doin' it."

Ivan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, but you haven't even heard my side yet."

Silver glowered at the man, but Ivan did not waver.

"I believe you may see things differently once you have."

Silver said nothing, but he also didn't leave, so Ivan smugly continued.

"Good. But before I begin, I have a few questions for you. I believe I already know the answers to them, but I'd like to verify."

"Go on," Silver said menacingly.

"Tabitha hasn't found it odd that she found both you and I in the same day yet? Surely she realizes that's more than a coincidence."

"Not ye' she hasn', bu' she's a smart gal," Silver said darkly.

"Right," Ivan said in obvious disagreement. "Well, we'll see. And what of this Jim character? What am I to expect of him?"

"Don' be put off by t'e fac' the lads only 18. He's smar' as a whip; ya can't put a t'ing pas' tha' boy."

"If you say so," Ivan said, not sounding even remotely interested. "Does Tabitha know the real reason you took her in and treated her like a daughter?"

Silver paused a moment before he answered, "No."

"Perfect," Ivan said with an evil smile.

"Now see here Ivan, when ya firs' contacted me an' said ya had a proposition fer me, I decided t' come here to Kinapis an' here ya out," Silver said forcefully. "Bu' now t'at I know how it involves Tabby, I wouldn' help ya fer a t'ing."

"I didn't know that you were going to bump into the girl before you got here; that's not my fault. I didn't even expect her to be with you, just thought that surely you'd learned things from her that could help us find the fortune. But I guess having her here, even though she didn't know anything about the fortune like I'd hoped, is better. Plus, we needed that watch - "

"Ya know Tabby didn't know a t'ing about t'e fortune 'till yesterday, an' even if she'd told me e'eryt'ing ya needed t' know, t'ere's no' a damn chance I would 'ave told ya any of it."

"Yes, I had a feeling you probably wouldn't want to cooperate."

"Well, guess yer no' totally daft after all. Ya got t'at righ'," Silver stood up and began to leave.

"Not even to save your precious Tabitha's life?"

Silver stopped dead in his tracks. "Wha'?"

Ivan grinned again; Silver had fallen right into his trap. "I think you had better sit back down."

Silver walked back to the table, but didn't sit. Instead he grabbed Ivan by the shirt color and lifted him clear out of his seat. "I swear... if ya so much as look a' t'at lass t'e wrong way - "

"I'm sure you'll see to it that I suffer a long and torturous death," Ivan said as if he was not currently being half-strangled by a man easily twice his size. "But first, you're going to listen to what I'm going to tell you. Sit down."

Silver glared and tossed Ivan back on the bench before surrendering to sitting back down.

"Now then," Ivan said as he smoothed out his shirt. "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to come on this trip. You're going to help us figure out the clues. We're going to find the fortune. We're going to take it from that girl, and then I'll dispose of her, one way or another."

"Like hell I'll do any o' t'at."

"Oh, I have the feeling you will once you hear my reasons," Ivan grinned. "If you do help me, then I'm sure I'll figure out someway to make sure Tabitha lives, and the worst thing that will happen to her is she'll lose the fortune. If you don't, then I'd be more than happy to tell her why you really took her in; I'm sure she'd be happy to know that the only reason you did was because you believed her to be the heir to this treasure. Then, I will turn you into the authorities; there's still a rather hefty sum on your head that I'd be glad to collect. Then, I'll simply have to kill 'Tabby' to get to her fortune."

Silver's jaw had slowly dropped during Ivan's proposal, and now he was left gawking at the man, completely taken aback by his plan.

"I know that either way you're going to go on this trip - one way, you lose everything you hold dear to you, and the other, you get everything you want," Ivan said as he stood up and pulled his coat on. "I'd choose the latter, but it is your decision - are you a pirate or a martyr? If you choose to be a martyr, you will lose Tabitha, first emotionally, then literally, and not gain a thing, and I essentially will win. Be a pirate like you always have been, and you get a percentage of the fortune, and the only thing of Tabitha you have the chance of losing is her trust, which I'm sure you could gain back - you did that after Treasure Planet, didn't you?"

Silver still said nothing, nor did he look at Ivan, or so much as move a muscle.

Ivan grinned at his stunned silence. "I'll give you until we actually find the treasure to decide."

Placing his hat on his head, the villian left with a simple, "Good night."

* * *

Tabitha sat up with a gasp. These stupid dreams were too much. This one had been the most vivid yet, but she couldn't remember it now that she was awake. She could only recall tiny parts of it... something about Silver again, and how he wasn't trustworthy, and he'd been talking to another man, but she didn't know who - he'd been shrouded in shadows - and she didn't know what they were saying.

Taking a few deep breaths, she resisted the urge to call Jim for comforts sake. She walked to the water basin and splashed cool water on her face and neck to help cool her and looked up into the mirror.

"You're being stupid," she told her reflected self. "It was only a dream."

She climbed back in bed and squeezed her eyes shut tight.

"A dream, just a dream..."

* * *

**So there you have it.**

**BTW: I still haven't gone back to fix the chapter(s?) where I left Morph out, so sorry that he's just randomly thrown in here 0_o**

**Anywho, hope you liked it!  
Reviews are always welcome :)**

**-Emily**


	24. Destinies Intertwined

**WARINGING: INCREDIBLY LONG CHAPTER**

**I don't know what happened. I just started writing, and then I couldn't stop. I probably should have divided this into two parts somewhere, but I didn't...**

**I think this is my favorite chapter so far, so enjoy!**

**I hope it isn't too tedious!**

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

"So have you thought about what you're going to tell your mom?" Landon asked as he fed crackers to Morph.

Yeah, I'd thought about it a lot. I'd thought about how I was going to have to explain everything about Silver. _What am I supposed to say? Oh hey mom, glad to be home. By the way, you remember the Legacy voyage I went on? Well, I didn't tell you at the time, but there was a mutiny on the ship, and this guy here was in charge of it. He almost killed me a couple of times, but, he's also practically Tabitha's father... and possibly the greatest man I've ever met._ It was going to be just like when I was a kid and I would bring home a creature I wanted to keep as a pet. _Can I keep him?_ Not only was I going to have to admit that I'd lied to her about everything that had happened on the Treasure Planet voyage, but I was also going to have to explain to the Dopplers too. _Delbert I can handle, but Amelia..._ I'd also thought about how I was supposed to tell my mom I was leaving on another lengthy voyage. It was the Legacy, then the academy, then this trip almost back to back. There was no way she was going to easily accept me going somewhere else, let alone one with another crazy scheme like this.

I sighed. "I don't know, the truth?"

"The truth!" Morph agreed.

Graham scoffed. "And you think she'll just let you up and leave like that?"

"No, I know she won't," I explained. "But I don't know any good way to tell her that I'm going no matter what she says."

"Yeah, that does sound pretty harsh," Landon agreed. "Maybe with Tabitha on your side too, she won't see it in such a negative light."

"Nah, that might help her accept Silver, but not this trip," Graham said.

"Exactly. There's not a good way to convince her," I said in exasperation. _Well this is going to be fun._

Tabitha came stumbling, literally, onto the deck. As she reached the top step, her foot appeared to slip out from under her, and she crashed to her knees. Graham, Landon, even Morph, laughed, but I hesitated to make sure she was alright.

She stood and brushed off her pants legs. "I meant to do that."

Morph turned into a mini-Tabitha and imitated her falling, "Meant to do that!".

_She's actually falling down tired._ As she walked closer I could tell she hadn't slept well last night either. She looked exhausted: all her movements seemed slower and delayed, she had circles under her eyes, and, despite the cheerful smile she was using to hide it, I knew something was bothering her.

"So how'd you sleep last night?" I tested.

"Hmm? Oh, fine," she answered vaguely.

I frowned. Why was she trying to be brave and pretend like nothing's wrong? Why wouldn't she just talk to me? I wanted, needed, to help her, but I didn't know where to begin. _Is it the dreams? Is it her family? Is it Ivan? She should be able to tell me. What does she expect me to do?_

"Well I'm hungry. Anyone care to join me in the galley?" Tabitha asked.

"Nah, we better get to work," Landon said.

"Yeah, or Captain Hawkins here might fire us," Graham laughed.

"You bet I would," I kid as they left. "And I already ate."

"Suit yourself," Tabitha shrugged as she walked off.

Morph started to follow after her, but I called him back. "Hey! Morph! Come here!" Morph buzzed back over to me. "Do you know why Tabitha's so tired?"

"Tired!" Morph yawned to show he understood.

"Yes, exactly. Why is she?"

The blob looked confused and then shrugged in disappointment. I sighed, "Okay, then I have a job for you. Tonight, when Tabitha goes to bed, you go with her, okay?"

"Go with her!" he repeated.

"Yes, tonight."

"Tonight! Tonight!" Morph shouted gleefully as he flew off. _Yeah, we'll see how well that works out._

_

* * *

_

**--Tabitha's POV--**

I wandered aimlessly around the kitchen. I wasn't even hungry. I just wanted to get away from Jim's scrutinizing looks. He knew I was lying to him about how I slept, but I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want him worrying over or babying me just because of some stupid nightmares. Plus, if there was one thing Jim was good at, it was being suspicious; I didn't want him trying to read too much into these dreams. _They're just dreams._..

_Who am I kidding?_ It didn't matter how many times I said it, I knew they weren't just dreams. There was something about them. I didn't know what, but they had substance. If Jim found out they were all about Silver... I couldn't deal with the tension of suspicion between them again.

_They're just dreams._

Finally, I gave up on trying to find something to eat and decided to do the dishes. I started humming to myself - anything to keep my thoughts at bay - but it did precious little to distract me.

Giving in, I decided to try and sort out the visions I'd been having. _The very first one had been a lot like that night in the alley_, _except Silver never came to save me. _I got goosebumps just thinking about how realistic it had been, like I could actually feel his hands roughly grazing against me. _And then there was that voice, that kept telling me Silver wouldn't come, that he didn't care... Then in the next dream, I was back in the alley, but no one was there. At least, no one I could see; I could here whispers, and that same voice. This time it also told me not to trust him, or believe him, and it had taken the shape of a figure. Admittedly it was a dark and vague figure, but a figure nonetheless, and one that I felt grab me. Then the whispers got louder, then stopped completely, and there was that other voice, the one that sounds so familiar... _I strained to recall why I recognized it, but I couldn't place it. _Then,_ _last night's_._.. Silver was somewhere, somewhere dark, talking to someone. And then the familiar voice saying my name again... _That's all I could remember.

Altogether, It didn't make sense. The first one had definitely been about Silver, maybe just because I'd been missing him so much...? Then the second, the voice told me not to trust someone (it never actually said Silver, but who else could it have meant?), and then the last one had been about Silver and someone else -

I was so caught up in trying to figure everything out, that when someone tapped me on the shoulder, I screamed, jumped about a foot in the air, and dropped the plate I had been drying.

I turned around to see Silver looking surprised by my reaction. "Wha' the devil was tha' abou'?"

"Sorry," I breathed and rushed to get a broom to sweep up the shattered plate.

"Wha's the matta wit' ya?" he asked. I could feel his gaze boring into me, but I kept my eyes focused on the broken glass as I swept it up. "Somethin's botherin ya."

I continued to avoid looking up at him as I tossed the broken plate in the trash and returned the broom to it's rightful spot. Eventually though, once I was back at the sink and he was standing right beside me, I had to. "It's nothing."

"Tabby..." he began warningly.

I had to force myself not to groan. "Yes?"

"Don' lie t' me."

I looked up to him again. After I got past his steely gaze, I noticed how tired he looked. He looked about as wiped out as I felt. I'd seen Silver work entire days at a time and not look this worn out...

"Wha' happened?" he pressed. When the only answer I gave was a sigh, he continued. "Was it Jimbo?"

I glared back at him, almost offended by his guess. "No, why would you assume that?"

"I wasn' asumin' anyt'ing. I jus' noticed he weren' down here wit' ya, an' I though' maybe the two t'ings were related."

"No, it wasn't Jim. Look, nothing's _wrong_, but I really don't want to talk about it okay?" What was I supposed to say? _Oh, I've just been having dreams about how I can't trust you and you're not who you say you are and I've been losing a lot of sleep over it. But don't worry, I'm only slightly suspicious of you now._

He looked me up and down again and crossed his arms. "Ya look tired, lass."

"Well so do you," I countered without thinking.

I hadn't meant it as an accusation necessarily, but Silver shifted uncomfortably anyway. "We're not talkin' bout me."

"Why do you care if I'm tired?"

"Why do I care? I care 'cause I love ya, Tabby."

_Whoa, wait -_ I looked back at him, wide-eyed.

"Aye, lass, don' look so surprised. Love ya as if ya was my own daughter, ya knew tha' already."

I did know that, I knew that he _saw_ me as a daughter, but he'd never actually said the word _love_ before. I couldn't help smiling. I couldn't even remember the last time someone I considered family told me they loved me. My eyes began to fog up with tears. _Stop it, Tabitha! You don't need to cry just because he said he loved you! You already knew that.  
_

"Now don' go gettin' all misty eyed on me," he gently ordered.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, as I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt. When I looked back up, Silver was right in front of me. He held out his arms and I fell into his hug. "I love you too, Silver."

"Ya better after all I've done fer ya," he joked. Giving me one last tight squeeze, he pulled back. "Now t'en, nice try, but I still want ya t' tell me what's wrong. And don't ya dare tell me nothin' 'gain. Yer jumpy, tired, cryin' a' t'e drop o' a hat... 'Nothin'' don' do that to ya."

"Silver, really. Just..." I didn't know what to say, so I just shook my head as I stared up at him pleadingly.

Silver seemed to understand, and sighed as he caved. "Fine. Now you listen t' me - if anyt'ing happens t' ya, ya come t' me. Anyt'ing. Understan'?"

I nodded, a little disturbed by his sudden severity, and he smiled and let me go. "Well, what about you? Why are you tired?"

"Ah, I'm no' tired, lass, jus' old," he answered with a chuckle.

I knew he was avoiding whatever the real reason was, but I couldn't very well call him on it without being hypocritical. We both sat there staring at each other for a minute, probably both waiting on the other to make the next move, but then, without another word, he turned around and began preparations for the next meal.

Apparently I wasn't the only one who wanted to keep something to themselves.

* * *

_**Late that Evening****...**_

The ship was empty except for Jim, Tabitha, and Silver; everyone else had been dropped off at the space port so they could catch their flights home. It was eerily silent as each person kept to their own thoughts and worries, not realizing how much they tied into one another.

Jim remained concerned about Tabitha. She was obviously not sleeping well, and he didn't know the reason. The fact that she had started being more secretive only increased his worry, and he had to wonder what was wrong. He didn't want to force her to tell him anything she wasn't ready to tell him, but he also didn't want to see her like this - tired, sad, and secluded.

Tabitha was those three things all because of the dreams that had been plaguing her. She couldn't make them fit together, but that didn't stop her from obsessing over them. She felt bad about being suspicious about Silver again, but there was just something about the dreams that made her question everything she thought had been settled years ago. Not to mention how Ivan had suddenly entered her life. The story he'd told about the Reddend Fortune kept her distracted during the day as much as the visions did at night.

Then, there was Silver, who was in a different boat entirely. Compared to the his problems, the teens lives were smooth sailing. He stood alone on the deck as they approached Montressor and tried hopelessly to devise a plan to back him out of the narrow corner he was in. At the time, the idea of a new treasure hunt to occupy his time sounded great, but now he was seriously beginning to regret ever agreeing to reconnect with Ivan...

* * *

_"I's ware," the woman slurred. "Shesthe heir. She must know somethin' 'bout it."_

_"Can you believe that?" Ivan asked Silver. _

_"I'd like t' believe it," Silver chuckled. His hunt for Flint's Trove had reached a gap. He and his crew had been unable to figure out where to go next, so they split up and traveled to different corners of the galaxy, hoping to overhear even the faintest trace of a hint that could lead them in the right direction. Nothing had happened yet, so the idea of another fortune he could find was beginning to sound appealing. It would give him something to do instead of being a cook on these blasted merchant ships, at least until one of his crew returned with news of the map's whereabouts. He was supposed to be a Captain, for heavens sake! A cook wasn't a position he enjoyed holding at all.  
_

_"The heir to the Reddend Fortune?" Ivan scoffed as he took another sip from his mug. "Honestly..."_

_"Guess yer right," Silver shrugged, but his mind was already planning on finding it. It was startling how fast he could develop an insidious plan - He could find this girl, this "Alexander", and get her to lead him to it. How hard would it be to force a small girl to lead him to a treasure? Not hard at all - easy. Too easy, maybe._

_"It sounds absolutely ludicrous," Ivan said, downing the last of his drink. "Well, I'm off. I'm going to enjoy my last night in a bed before I'm stuck back in one of those damned hammocks for another month. All I need's someone to share it with, eh?" he elbowed Silver suggestively. "Your lucky to get a break from all sailing for a little while. You get to stay here and enjoy yourself however you please."  
_

_Silver didn't feel lucky; he didn't want to be stuck at the spaceport, he wanted to be on a ship - even if he was just a cook - to increase his chances of hearing something about the map. But now, he was in between voyages. Ivan had been lucky to jump to his next job so quickly, with only about a weeks break between the last one they'd been on and the next ship, that set sail tomorrow. _

_Silver stayed at the bar longer, listening to the drunken woman blabber on behind him about the child that knew about the fortune, but he learned no new information. Paying for his tab, he pulled on his coat and walked onto the dark streets of Lacuna's spaceport. It made sense really, that a small, undeveloped planet like Lacuna, would be more likely to cater to the "needs" of the spacers that were forced to stop there, but Lacuna took it a step further. In fact, the entire street Silver was on now seemed to consist of nothing but gin joints and whore houses; the next street wasn't much better, lined with seedy inns and other risque establishments._

_Perhaps that's why the girl caught his eye. She was clearly quite young, though not so young that she couldn't be mistaken for one of the common harlots that lined the streets. Were it not for her clothes, a long ivory skirt paired with a simple white shirt covered with a brown vest, and her facial expression, nervous and confused, Silver probably wouldn't have thought twice about her. But she was clearly so naive to this part of town, and her clean and fair-colored clothing seemed to broadcast her innocence even more, that Silver's heart went out to her._

_A ways down the road in front of him, she turned down an alley, an alley that Silver knew led nowhere but a wall. Intending to help her find her way, he went after her. When he reached the lane, what he saw met his blood boil. A group of men had surrounded the girl threateningly.  
_

_"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The one who appeared to be the leader said as he approached her. "What are you doing in this part of town, girly?"_

_Silver was surprised when she seemed to gather up her courage and not cower away. "Nothing. I was just leaving."  
_

_She tried to walk around the group, but the leader grabbed her. "What's your hurry? You can stay with us. We'll take good care of you - "_

_"No thank you. I can handle it myself," she said sternly. Well, she certainly was determined.  
_

_"Really? You seem pretty young to be out here on your own..." he leered at her and Silver's hands reflexively balled into a fist. "How old are you?"_

_"I don't think that's any of your concern." Determined and tough - perhaps she wasn't as simple as she'd first appeared.  
_

_"She's gotta be at least fifteen, Boss," another member of the group said with a nauseating grin.  
_

_Fifteen? Silver was pretty sure that was stretching it, but maybe it was his attempt at a subconscious plea to make them feel less guilty about harassing someone so young.  
_

_The leader reached out to touch her, but she forced his hands away and again tried to leave. This time when he grabbed her, he pushed her against the wall and trapped her there, giving her no way to fight back. __"Oh no you don't. It's not everyday that one so young and… innocent as you are wanders across our path and, well, how could we resist someone so… alluring, shall we say?"  
_

_Sure, Silver was a pirate, but this was pushing past the few morals even he'd managed to hang onto. That girl was way too young to be... involved with these men, and she definitely had not consented to any of this. __Some part of Silver questioned why he cared so much about this girl. She must have known what she was doing, wandering around in this part of town, but when her small voice spoke up, what was left of Silver's conscience told him he was going to intervene.  
_

_"No... please..." The girl pleaded, her real terror finally shining through._

_"Shh…I'm not going to hurt you…" The man said in an evil tone as he began to lift her skirt up. "I'll be gentle..."  
_

_"Hey!" Silver shouted at the group. As the leader observed Silver's stature and size compared to his own, he backed away from the girl. "What do ya think yer doin'?"_

"_Just having a little fun. What's it to you?"_

_Silver set his jaw. Men like this were despicable, preying on young girls so to rob them of their innocence. He stepped closer to the group as an intimidation tactic. He looked back and forth between the group and the girl, who still hadn't tried to escape. He stepped closer still, and the group stepped back further. Suddenly, Silver realized that he knew some of these men. Not personally, but he'd worked with a couple of them before._

_"Listen t' me," Silver said. "Yer lucky I go' here when I did or t'is nigh' mighta been yer last. Heaven knows why, but I'll let ya go... t'is time. But so help me, if I find out that ya put even one toe over the boundary between yerself an' tha' lass, I will track you down an' findya, an' ya don't want that t' happen, d'ya?" The group shook their heads fearfully. "Now get outta me sigh' 'afore I change me mind."_

_They didn't need to be told twice. They ran, but Silver caught the one that seemed to be in charge by the collar and pulled him up off the ground. By this point, the man had realized that he recognized Silver, too, and was not about to pick a fight with him._

_"Heaven help ya if I ever catch ya doin' somethin' like this again."_

_The man's eyes widened as his tough-guy mask dissipated. "It won't happen again! Please, just let me go!"_

_Silver threw the man to the ground, but he quickly jumped back up and rushed off after his comrades. Silver turned to the girl, who still hadn't moved, but thankfully appeared to be breathing. "Ya all righ', lass?" he asked as he hesitantly stepped forward. He didn't want to frighten the girl, but he didn't want to leave her here unprotected._

_Her chest suddenly stopped heaving as her breath caught in her lungs and she swayed slightly on the spot._

_"Lass?"_

_The girls eyelids fluttered and she suddenly collapsed. Silver reached out and caught her under the arm to keep her from hitting the ground. She had fainted, or passed out. Either way, he couldn't very well leave her here in the middle of the alley. That would completely counter the defense he had just given her..._

_The next morning, Silver was up early as always. He'd slept in the chair and let the girl have the bed. She hadn't woken up yet, and he didn't want to wake her up, but she'd been asleep so long by now that he was starting to wonder if she was ill.  
_

_As if on cue, the girl suddenly stirred in bed and her eyes flickered open. She remained staring at the ceiling, then drowsily sat up and observed her surroundings. When her eyes fell on Silver, she gasped loudly and pulled the blankets up around here. "W-who are you? Where am I? What happened?"_

_The thought that the lass was probably more frightened waking up in a strangers _bed_ then she would have been waking up on the floor or in a chair suddenly dawned on Silver. Mentally reprimanding himself, he realized there was nothing he could do now but reassure her. "Name's John Silver, but I jus' go by me las' name. Yer at the an inn, in me room. Las' nigh' I stopped those men from hurtin' ya an' t'en ya fainted, so I brough' ya back 'ere."_

_"Thank you," she said quietly, shocked and confused by the explanation and her memories that accompanied it.  
_

_"What's yer name lass?" Silver asked._

_"T-tabitha," she stuttered nervously, still unsure of the whole situation. "Tabitha Alexander."_

_Silver blanched. "Alexander ya say?"_

_"Yes sir."_

_Unbelievable. If this wasn't destiny, then Silver didn't know what was. "An', uh, wha' were ya doin' in t'at part o' town? Tha's no place fer a young lady like yerself t' be. Yer wha'? Fourteen?"_

_"No sir, I'm only 10," she explained quietly. "And I got lost."_

_10? She looked, and sounded, to maybe not be a teenager yet, but at least be older than 10. "Where ya parent's at?"_

_She looked down and nervously twisted the comforter. "I'm... an orphan."_

_"Oh," Silver said guiltily. "Sorry, lass."_

_"It's okay. My mom died when I was little, and my dad died a couple of days ago. That's why I was at the spaceport. I was looking for a job..."_

_Her last name is Alexander and both of her parents are dead... to Silver, this sounded to good to be true. He had found the girl that could lead him to the Reddend Fortune. Fate must have been repaying him for saving the girl. "Is tha' so? Well, tell ya wha' - I'm lookin' fer a job meself at t'e time. I've never 'ad a cabin boy 'afore... What say ya join me an' we'll try it out?"_

_"Really? You'd let me come with you," Tabitha asked, her voice rising with happiness._

_"If ya promise t' work hard. If ya turn out t' be lazy, I'll dump ya a' t'e next por'."_

_"No! I'm used to it. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. I can do... well, lots of stuff. Cook, clean, dishes, laundry, you name it," she said as she hopped out of bed. "Thank you so much Mr. Silver!"_

_Silver sent the girl ahead downstairs with a few coins to buy breakfast, promising to be down in a minute. On the way, he had to make a stop._

_"Oy, what?" Ivan grumbled as he opened the door when Silver knocked. "This better be good."_

_"I found 'er."_

_"Who?" Ivan yawned._

_"T'e girl! Tha' Alexander girl we 'eard abou' las' nigh'!"_

_Ivan was suddenly wide awake. "What?!" He pulled Silver into the room and shut the door. "But, what? How?"_

_"Lon' story, bu' I saved 'er las' nigh'. 'er name's Tabit'a Alexander, an' she's an orphan."_

_"Tabitha, you say?" Ivan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well... sounds plausible. What are you going to do?"_

_"Hired 'er as me cabin boy, try t' fin' some t'ings out," Silver said proudly._

_"Damn, wish I could join you... but I've already got this job lined up. Will you let me know? If you find anything out about the fortune?"  
_

_Silver agreed as he left the room and went downstairs to join the girl that held his future.  
_

_

* * *

_

Silver knew now that that was where he'd gone wrong. Ivan had only pretended to be skeptical of Tabitha and the fortune; he'd known all along that he was Tabitha's godfather and that the fortune was real. When he'd found out that Silver was going to pry information from her anyway, he'd decided to use it to his best advantage.

Ivan had been vague when he contacted Silver, saying only that he had a new proposition for a treasure he might be interested in pursuing. Sick of lying low and trying to hide from authorities and finally feeling it was safe for him to come out of hiding a little, Silver had jumped at the offer. It wasn't until that night at the restaurant that they had all met face-to-face that Silver had put 2 and 2 together. That's why he had contacted Silver and told him to meet him in Kinapis - he was going to drill him for information on what he had learned from Tabitha over the years.

The only coincidence in all of this was the fact that Tabitha, Jim, and the other teens were planning a trip to Kinapis themselves; everything else was interrelated.

Silver knew how much finding this treasure meant to Tabitha because it was a part of her family, of her, but it seemed impossible for that to work out. Either way, Tabitha was not going to get the fortune that she fully believed was part of her destiny, and either way, Silver was going to lose her.

If Silver chose to back out on his promise to help Tabitha - and therefore, not help Ivan - Ivan would simply turn Silver in, kill Tabitha, and take the fortune.

If he did help her, Ivan would still get the treasure, Tabitha would live, but there was a huge chance she would no longer trust Silver. Silver assumed that Ivan was going to try to pull them apart, and right now all he had to do was explain to her the original reason Silver had taken her under his wing.

If he came out and told her the whole story now, one of two things would happen - either she wouldn't care, or wouldn't believe, and she would go anyway, or she would believe him and be heartbroken that she couldn't go. Silver didn't want to lose her, but he didn't want to hurt her either.

They were both going to be hurt - the question was how.

There was no good solution, only varying degrees of more problems.

* * *

"So what are we going to tell them?" Jim asked Tabitha.

"The whole story - beginning to end," she said convincingly.

"Right," he nodded nervously.

Silver looked pretty nervous himself. "Maybe I should wait here while ya go an' talk it over wit' - "

"No, just come," Tabitha said.

It was just the three of them, and Morph, walking silently up the road toward the inn, each trying to piece together their explanations before they reached the door -

Jim opened it into the darkened dining room slowly, and found it empty. The three all released a breath of relief and entered.

"Okay. Wait here and - "

"JIMMY!" B.E.N. shouted as he suddenly appeared from nowhere and latched onto Jim. "Oh, Jimmy! You're home! I missed you so much!"

"B.E.N. shut up!" Tabitha commanded.

"And Tabby!" the robot cried as he released Jim and embraced Tabitha. "It's so good for you to be home! So, how was the trip? Did anything exciting happen? What - "

"B.E.N.!" the teens shouted, stopping him mid-interrogation.

"You have to stop talking," Jim demanded in a hushed voice.

"Stop talking!" Morph repeated, turning into a mouth and zipping the lips shut.

"Oh, right..." B.E.N. said.

"Why don't you two go... do something outside?" Tabitha suggested to their two rowdier companions.

"Great idea, Tabby!" B.E.N. agreed.

"Great idea! Great idea!" the blob repeated and turned into a light bulb above Tabitha's head.

They all winced as the two rambunctious creatures raced outside, slamming the door behind them.

Jim groaned. "If my mom - "

"Jim?" his mother questioned quietly as she opened the door to the kitchen. "Oh, you're home!" She rushed to him and embraced him as hard as B.E.N. had. "And Tabitha! Oh, thank goodness you kids are both okay!" She finally released both of them and stepped back. "Where's everyone else?"

"We dropped them off at the spaceport so they could fly home. Mom, we - "

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Hawkins interrupted. "I know their parents must miss them as much as I've missed - " That's when Silver stepped up, and her eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Kids... who is this?"

"Name's Silver, ma'am," Silver introduced. "John Silver."

"John Silver?" Mrs. Hawkins asked.

"Sarah? Who - " Delbert began as he entered the room too, and froze. "Oh my goodness."

Delbert was closely followed by Amelia. "YOU! You... You..."

Amelia at a loss for words was never a good sign.

"Ah, Cap'n!" Silver greeted warmly. "I see you an' Doc 'ere are - "

"Wait!" Mrs. Hawkins suddenly interrupted. "Who are you again? How do you all know each other?"

Amelia was flabbergasted by Sarah's question. "Silver was the pirate responsible for the mutiny on board the Legacy, of course."

"The mutiny?!" she asked. "What...?"

"Mom, just wait - " Jim tried to stop.

"What mutiny?!" she shouted, turning on both Jim and Tabitha.

Amelia turned to him. "Mr. Hawkins! You never informed your mother of the details of our previous voyage?"

"Well, n-not exactly, but I was - "

"Mrs. Hawkins," Amelia cut Jim off again. "I don't know what Jim did inform you of, but if this man was never mentioned, then he's excluded quite a bit of the story."

"James Pleiades Hawkins!" his mother shouted. "I cannot believe you lied - "

"No, it wasn't like that, Mrs. Hawkins," Tabitha defended.

"Then what was it like, Tabitha?" the shocked mother demanded. "You _both_ lied to me."

"We were trying to protect him..." Tabitha mumbled in shame.

"Protect this murderous, thieving pirate?" Amelia interjected. "Why would you - "

"Everyone just stop!" Jim shouted. Every head turned to face him at his sudden outburst. "Tabitha and I will explain everything if you'll only give us a chance."

The room was quiet for several minutes as everyone looked around awkwardly at one another. Finally Dr. Doppler spoke up, "We should listen to them."

"What?!" Amelia turned on him.

"Dear, if they honestly feel they have a good reason behind their actions, then perhaps we should hear them out."

"Delbert!" Mrs. Hawkins scolded. "There is no 'good reason' to lie."

"Unless it's to save someone you love," Tabitha interjected. The adults all stared at her, but didn't argue her point.

"Love?" All of the adults asked incredulously, but Tabitha just stared defiantly at them.

Amelia sighed in defeat, then glowered at Silver. "Don't for a moment believe this makes you a free man Silver. I have half a mind to call the authorities this very moment and have you arrested - "

"No!" Tabitha shouted defensively. "Hear us out first. Please, Captain Amelia? Doc? Mrs. Hawkins?"

Mrs. Hawkins finally sighed, rubbing her face with her hand. "Fine. At least let's go somewhere we can sit down before I faint."

They adjourned to the living room, and everyone, except the two adolescents, took a seat.

There were a few moments of silence, where Jim and Tabitha simply stared at each other figuring out where they should begin, until Jim spoke out. "Mom, please don't be mad. Just listen to us."

"I'm only mad that you lied to me, Jim. I'll decide what else I'm mad about after I hear the _whole_ story from both of you," she said sternly.

"Do you want to start?" Jim asked Tabitha quietly.

"I guess I can..." Tabitha agreed as she began twisting her hair nervously around her fingers. "Um... well, f-from the beginning - "

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

And so they explained everything: Tabitha's history and how that had led her to the hands of Silver, to Silver's search for Treasure Planet, the bond they all formed, the supernova, the speech Silver gave Jim, everything that had happened on Treasure Planet, including the part where it exploded, and finally them letting him go. The adults quickly realized that they had all known bits and pieces of the story, but none of them had known nearly as much as they thought they had.

"Look, mom, I shouldn't have lied to you, but at the time... I didn't think you'd ever let me sail again if you'd known I was in any danger while I was out there," Jim explained.

"Please don't be mad at him - us - Mrs. Hawkins," Tabitha added meekly. "We really thought it was best... maybe we should have told you the full story sooner - "

"I should say so," Dr. Doppler agreed. "Though, better late than never; this certainly has been enlightening."

"Yes, quite explicative," Amelia nodded.

Mrs. Hawkins stood up and walked towards Jim and Tabitha. "Don't you ever lie to me again," she said sternly. "Especially you, James. I thought you were over that phase."

"I am. I won't. I'm sorry," he said ashamedly.

She smiled in acceptance then walked over to Silver. "So... you're the one responsible for changing Jim into the man he is today?"

"Well, I don' know abou' t'at," Silver smiled. "Bu' I like t' t'ink I helped some."

"You did more than 'some', Silver," Jim said. "You and my mom were the only people who ever told me I had a future... but you were the only person I believed."

"Well, that certainly explains a lot," Mrs. Hawkins stated. "I guess all I can say is thank you, Mr. Silver."

"No' 'tall, ma'am," Silver said modestly. "Jim's played an impor'ant par' in me own life, too."

"I can't say I forgive you, Mr. Silver, but it would seem that I've certainly underestimated the kind of man you are," Amelia said. "And admittedly, I do see you in a different light now."

"Thank ye, Cap'n," Silver said honestly.

"Well, this has been an interesting evening, I must say," Dr. Doppler began. "But we really should be taking the kids home now. They - "

"No, wait," Tabitha interrupted. "That's not all."

"Not all?" Mrs. Hawkins asked. "What else could their possibly be?"

"A _lot_," Jim emphasized.

"That was stuff from the past. Now we have to tell you what's going on now."

The adults exchanged anxious glances with each other, then sat back down to listen to the next explanation.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"...so you see, that's why I want to go find this treasure. I never realized how little I knew about my family, and how much I actually cared about them until Ivan told me about this. Finding this fortune is just... something I have to do, for myself. I need to know."

The adults all stared at her aghast, unable to comprehend such a barrage of information.

"It sounds marvelous to me," Delbert finally said. "I don't think it's anything you won't be able to handle."

"Precisely," Amelia agreed. "It sounds beneficial to all involved."

Tabitha smiled happily at their acceptance, then turned to Silver.

"Ya already know I'm goin' wit' ya, lass!" he laughed.

She turned to face Jim with an even broader smile. He smiled back and squeezed her hand excitedly, then together they turned to Jim's mother, the only person who had not put in her opinion. Her face was pale and she wasn't meeting anyone's eyes.

"Mom?" Jim asked hesitantly.

Mrs. Hawkins looked up at him, then slowly stood up. "No. Absolutely not."

Tabitha's smile fell, but Jim's jaw dropped defiantly. "What do you mean 'absolutely not'?"

"Exactly that, Jim. There is no way you are going to try and find that... that stupid fortune - "

"It's not stupid! It belongs to Tabitha! She has a right to go find it!" Jim retaliated.

They glared at each other for a moment before Mrs. Hawkins took a deep breath. "Everyone out. I need to speak to Jim."

"But - " Jim started.

"Out."

Tabitha blinked in shock at the sudden swing of emotional atmosphere. Jim mouthed the word 'sorry' to her, and she shrugged in return.

"Sarah?" Dr. Doppler asked quietly. "Would you like me to... stay, or help in any way?"

"No, thank you, Delbert. This needs to be between just me and Jim."

By this time, Jim was thoroughly confused, and didn't know whether to be mad or scared or upset or all three.

Delbert quietly patted her shoulder and left. The doors shut, leaving Jim and his mother alone.

* * *

Dr. Doppler convinced Amelia that they needed to stay until after Sarah and Jim were done talking. Amelia relented, but wasn't happy about keeping the children away from the comfort of their own beds until such a late hour.

Tabitha kept busy by relaying a brief summary of the story to B.E.N.. Normally, she wouldn't have retold the story twice back-to-back like that, but she wanted anything to keep her distracted from her mind coming up with possible topics of the conversation currently being held in the other room. So while three fourths of her attention was focused on the story, there was still that one fourth that was worried about whatever was going on with Jim right now. Why had Mrs. Hawkins minded even the suggestion of this trip so much? It was odd.

Tabitha's story was interrupted when a door slammed and the sound of footfalls could be heard on the steps up to the second landing, followed by another slam.

Everyone in the room, even B.E.N., went silent. Mrs. Hawkins walked in, looking thoroughly beaten emotionally, and sank down into a chair with a huge sigh.

"So..." Dr. Doppler cleared his throat nervously. "How did it go?"

"It went as well as I could have hoped for," she said.

He walked over to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Silver looked to Tabitha questioningly, but she just shrugged.

"Beggin' yer pardon," Silver began to appeal to Mrs. Hawkins. "I don' wish t' pry, bu' what's wrong wit' t' lad?"

Mrs. Hawkins sighed again and dropped her head into the palms of her hands. "It's not too much. I'll explain, just... give me a minute."

Tabitha stood up tentatively. "Should... should I go talk to Jim?"

No one said anything, or even acknowledged her, so she left the room and headed up stairs to find Jim.

* * *

Jim sat out on the slanted part of the roof and breathed in deep gulps of the heavy air that was forecasting rain to come. He couldn't believe it.

What his mother had said could not have been true.

_The door closed with a click as everyone except Jim and his mother left the sitting room._

_"What was that for? This involves Tabitha too! You could at least have let her stay," Jim accused._

_"No, Jim," she said sternly. "What I'm about to tell you concerns only your part in this trip, not hers."_

_Jim sighed in aggravation. "What?"_

_"Jim..." his mother began slowly. She paused again to take another deep breath. "You remember when your father left, of course?"_

_Jim looked away, then shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah... yeah, I remember."_

_"Your father... first of all you should know he did love you very much, he just... wasn't ready. But that is in no way your fault."_

_"Alright."_

_"Jim... your father is... the reason he... this fortune was the reason he left."_

_Jim blanched. Surely he had heard wrong. "What?"_

_"The last straw for your father, the reason he finally left, was he caught wind that there was a new development in the hunt for the Reddend Fortune. He said he overheard someone talking about it at a tavern, that there was a young child, who I now assume was Tabitha, that knew where it was, and he was joining a crew to go find her... but whether he did or didn't, he wasn't coming back."_

_Jim was motionless... it was unbelievable, but it all made so much sense. He was surprised he hadn't picked up on some of this before... He and Tabitha were the same age. Tabitha's father died and the hunt for her began when she was ten; Jim's father left when we was ten... _

_"That's why I don't want you to go. I had a hard enough time letting you go find Treasure Planet, but this... this is too much. I don't want to lose you, too."_

_"Mom, I'm not... I'm not just going to leave. I'll always come back."_

_"Unless you can't come back!" she nearly shouted. "What if you get hurt? Or worse? I don't want to lose my son to the same thing I lost my husband to. I understand how much you care about Tabitha and that you want to go with her, but... please, Jim, reconsider."  
_

_Jim's mind was pulled in so many different directions: Fight back, tell her you're going to go, that you're not Leland, that you have to go for Tabitha..._

_"Jim, I've said it before - adventure is in your blood. Maybe it isn't only Tabitha's destiny tied to this fortune, maybe yours is too..." she walked closer to him and brushed his bangs out of his face. "I don't think that you would leave by choice, but it just doesn't seem... natural to let you go searching for the same thing that made your father leave. I won't stop you Jim, but..."_

_She didn't need to finish.  
_

_When he couldn't figure out what the best choice was, he did what his family was best at - he ran._

And now he was on the roof. Alone - which is how he wanted it to be. He just had to think about everything.

He wanted to go on this trip - he enjoyed that feeling of adventure and the mystery that went with it. He wanted to go for Tabitha - she was thrilled to know that there was a fortune out there somewhere for her, but she needed, or Jim at least needed, someone to go with her to help her, and protect her, if need be.

But he didn't want to go against his mom. He'd said that he was going to go no matter what she said, but he'd expected excuses like "It's too dangerous" or "I miss you", not "That's the reason your father left." He'd given up his defiant nature years ago, and had since grown fairly close to his mother; going against her wishes again would pull them back apart.

He sighed and propped his head back against the wall. He closed his eyes and tried to relax by breathing in the cold, wet air, but it did little to ease the seizing pain in his chest.

"Jim?" Tabitha whispered as she pulled herself up on the eaves of the house. He didn't answer, but a second later she was at his side. "Is everything okay?"

"No," he answered plainly, refusing to open his eyes and look at her.

"Do you want to talk?"

"No."

She rubbed his arm to comfort him. "Is there anything I can do?"

He leaned his head forward and actually faced her, but didn't say anything. Then he stood up and walked to the other side of the roof. She didn't follow; she just let him stand on his own, and eventually he began to explain.

"Do you remember when you felt like you had to choose between me and Silver? That's kind of where I am."

There was a pause as Tabitha tried to figure out exactly what he meant. "So... you're having to choose between... me and your mom?"

Jim's silence was enough of an answer. Tabitha joined his side. "Jim, you don't have to choose. There is always a compromise or - "

"No, there isn't, Tabitha," he answered harshly.

She paused. "It's about going to find the fortune?"

"Yeah. She had a pretty good reason why I shouldn't go."

"Well, whatever it is I'm sure we could convince her to change her mind or at least - "

"I don't want to change her mind," Jim said bitterly. "I agree with her."

Tabitha took a step back in shock. "You... agree? So.... you don't want to go with me?"

"No, I do, a lot, but... I don't think I can," he explained weakly.

"Well, whatever reason she has, I'm sure - " she tried to propose.

Jim turned to face her, his brow creased in frustration and contemplation. "It's my dad."

Tabitha's eyes widened. "Your dad? What - "

"This is where he went when he left. When he abandoned me and my mom, he went off to try and find this stupid fortune. And now my mom doesn't want me to go either because she's afraid she'll lose me too."

Tabitha looked shocked, but then her face broke and she shook her head. "That's crazy."

"Is it?!" Jim's voice raised. "What if she's right?"

"Right about what? Jim, you can't honestly think that you would just leave like your dad, do you?"

"Well that's exactly what I'd be doing if I went with you now after she's made it clear she doesn't want me to go," he explained.

"Except you would come back!"

Jim huffed and turned back out to face the lawn surrounding the Benbow. "I just don't want to risk disappointing my mom anymore. I would _try_ to come back, but if I was to get hurt, or die or - "

"Jim!" Tabitha gasped. "Don't even say - "

"Exactly! 'Don't even say it!' I could never forgive myself if I convinced her to let me go and then something bad happened."

Tabitha waited a minute, then sighed. "Jim, if you don't want to go, then we won't go. It isn't - "

"Don't, Tabitha," he said warningly. "Don't pretend this isn't important to you. I know you want this more than anything else right now, and I don't want to be the one who holds you back from it. I just wish we'd never even heard about this fortune now. I hate that Ivan had to find you now and tell you everything. I hate the very idea of the Reddend Fortune. I wish that none of this had ever happened."

"Jim... " Tabitha whispered. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing," Jim said as he turned away from her as he felt the unwanted pressure behind his eyes. "Just... go."

Tabitha bit her lip and silently slid back in through the open window.

Jim sighed in guilt and sank back into a sitting position. He scrunched up his eyes and reluctantly let the tears fall.

* * *

Tabitha had to wait in her room for a few moments to calm down, and by the time she meandered back down to the kitchen, she thought she had a control on her tears. She opened the door and found Silver and Mrs. Hawkins sitting at the table conversing in low voices.

"Tabitha, there you are," Mrs. Hawkins said. "We were just wondering whether you'd be coming back down or not."

"Oh, well yes, but I don't need anything. If you want to go to bed, feel free to." Tabitha poured herself a glass of water, but didn't drink it. She stared down at it and sloshed it around absent-mindedly.

"Are you okay, Tabitha?" Mrs. Hawkins asked.

"Yeah, fine," she said unconvincingly. "What happened to the Dopplers?"

"They took t'e kids home," Silver explained. "Did ya talk to Jimbo?"

"Yeah..." she mumbled. "We talked."

"So he told you?" Jim's mother asked.

Tabitha shrugged, but didn't say anything else because her tears were suddenly back. She turned away but the small sniffle she emitted gave everything away.

"Are ya cryin' again, lass?" Silver asked incredulously.

"No," she tried to lie.

"Tabitha, what happened?" Mrs. Hawkins tried to console her.

"Nothing. I'm going to bed," she mumbled as she turned to leave, but was grabbed by Silver.

"No, Tabby, t'is is t'e secon' time t'day ya been cryin', an' t'is time yer gonna explain yerself," Silver demanded.

Tabitha finally looked up at the parental figures. "Me and Jim had... a fight, or something. I don't know what it was, but he was really unhappy. He told me what you said about his father leaving, and I tried to tell him that there must be someway he could go without disappointing you, but he insisted there wasn't. And the way he talked about it almost sounded like he was mad at me, like he blamed me. And I do really want him to come with me, but I also don't want to mess things up between the two of you, and... and..."

Tabitha gave up on trying to hide that she was crying now, but she adamantly refused to sob. She fell against Silver and he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It's alrigh', Tabby," he soothed. "I don' t'ink he's mad at ya at all, he jus'... needs time."

"I didn't mean for it to sound like I would be disappointed in him," Mrs. Hawkins sighed. "I just wanted him to understand why I'm so much more worried about this trip than any other... Silver - do you think you maybe c-could, um, maybe - "

"I'll talk t' 'im," Silver finished for her.

"Yes, thank you," Mrs. Hawkins sighed. "Oh, check the roof... that's where he usually goes when he's upset."

Silver nodded and headed outside to confront the boy; the women took a seat beside each other at the table.

"There, now," Mrs. Hawkins began. "You're obviously upset about something. Would it be easier to tell me than Silver?"

"No," Tabitha choked. "It's not one thing, it's everything, and I don't want to talk about it because when I do, this happens." She gestured to her tear-streaked face.

"Well, you're already crying, so what do you have to lose?" the mother asked her.

Tabitha looked up at her, her eyes were so warm and encouraging and safe, like Jim's, but she still didn't want to tell her. "No, Mrs. Hawkins. Please don't take it the wrong way, it's not you... I just want to... try to figure things out on my own."

"I understand," she said sincerely. "But just remember that you always have people who care about you - me, Silver, Jim, the Doppler's, your friends - don't ever think for a moment that you _have_ to figure things out on your own."

"I know. Thank you," Tabitha smiled through her tears. Mrs. Hawkins hugged her and it took all of Tabitha's will not to let herself break. When they separated, she smiled once more and backed out of the room at a normal pace before running the rest of the way back to her room before her sobs could be interrupted anymore.

She fell onto the bed and smothered her face in the pillow to drown out the sound. She'd never felt so ashamed to cry before - why was it suddenly like this? She'd never _enjoyed _crying, but she'd never felt bad about when she did. She tried to blame it on anything that sounded even remotely plausible - exhaustion, stress, excitement... an overwhelming deluge of emotion (much like the night Jim first kissed her), a disruption to her hormonal homeostasis by every woman's monthly friend... She knew none of these were real reasons, much as she tried to force them to be. The real reason was she knew that something was wrong, something bad was going to happen, and there was nothing she could do with it. That constant feeling of dread and lack of control was enough to push anyone to their breaking point. She hadn't pieced everything together yet, so she didn't know what the problem was yet, and the fact that she could do nothing to take preventive actions made her even more upset. She refused to tell anyone because there was still that part of her that wanted to be wrong, and if she was, she didn't want to have everyone worrying about her or the possibilities she was considering might occur in the future. No, it was best to keep everything to herself until she was certain she knew something.

Overwhelmed, confused, and at a huge loss - of course she was crying.

Morph eventually remembered that he was supposed to be with Tabitha that night and flew up to find her. He found her door shut, so he squeezed himself under it. He quickly realized that she was asleep... but crying. He cooed at her, trying to get her attention, but she wouldn't wake. Morph took no time in zooming off to find Jim and report his findings.

* * *

Silver knew from experience that Jim was going to need time on his own before he would talk to anyone. When he deemed that enough time had passed, he walked outside and shouted up to the top of the inn.

"Oy! Jimbo!"

Jim didn't move, but shouted down to Silver. "What?"

"Will ya get down here? I wanna talk t' ya."

"Well I don't."

Silver waited. "Yer mom tol' me wha' 'appened." Jim said nothing. "I t'ink yer mistook her meanin, lad."

Jim finally gave in and agilely jumped down in front of Silver. "No, I didn't. This... fortune is the reason my father left us. She doesn't want me to go after it because she doesn't want to lose me the same way. And now that I know that, I..." Jim sighed in aggravation. "I'm having to rethink things. But I'm still going - not for me, for Tabitha. This means as much to her as Treasure Planet did to me, and I'm not going to be the one that holds her back."

Done ranting, Jim stared defiantly back at Silver, daring him to say he was wrong. Silver squinted at the boy in a mixture of confusion and worry, and Jim realized that it was probably quite obvious he'd been crying moments before Silver arrived. He tried to casually wipe away any evidence, and Silver knew it was better not to mention that he'd noticed, so Jim spoke again. "We're going... I just have to figure out how to explain everything to my mom."

"Well, looks like Tabby's the one who was mistaken," Silver said.

"Tabitha?"

"She tol' us she t'ought you were mad at her for still wantin' t' go," he explained. "What exactly did ya say t' her?"

"Nothing! I only..." but as Jim thought about it, he realized how everything he'd said had sounded to Tabitha. He'd pretty much blamed his father leaving on her family and told her he didn't want to be associated with it at all. No wonder she thought he was mad at her. "I guess I didn't explain things well."

Morph suddenly flew up between the two, jabbering animatedly to both Silver and Jim.

"Morphy?"

"What is it Morph?" Jim asked.

Morph squeaked some more, then turned into a miniature form of Tabitha laying on her bed and crying.

Jim said, "Again?!" at the same time Silver said, "Still?!". Confused by the others interjection, they looked at each other.

"What do you mean still?" Jim asked.

"She was cryin' after she came down from talkin' t' ya."

Jim's heart cringed with remorse that he hadn't thought more carefully about what he'd said to her; now she was crying because of him.

"What d'ya mean again?" Silver asked in an almost accusatory tone.

"She was crying when we left after talking to Ivan. He said something to her, but she wouldn't tell me what."

"She cried earlier t'day when I's talkin t' her too..." Silver added thoughtfully. "Tha's 3 times in 2 days... tha' don' seem righ', not fer Tabitha."

The men stared at each other for a second, and a silent understanding that they were both going to be on the lookout for anything odd involving the girl they loved passed between them. Morph squeaked urgently again, pleading for Jim to go to her.

"Go on," Silver smiled. "'T'ain't righ' t' leave a pretty gal like t'at cryin' all alone."

Jim quickly followed Morph to Tabitha's door. He knocked lightly, not really expecting an answer, and then entered. Tabitha was there exactly as Morph had shown, curled up on the bed sobbing quietly. Jim couldn't believe she was crying even in her sleep. Guilt and love pushed him forward to her, and he leaned over her.

"Tabitha?" he whispered, gently rubbing her back. "Tabitha?"

She slowly woke up and sleepily rubbed her eyes. "Jim?" she whispered as she sat up cautiously, trying, and failing, to hide the water tracks that lined her cheeks.

Jim hugged her tightly - what else was he to do? He didn't have any idea why she was crying, so he didn't know how to reassure or comfort her using words, so physical contact was the best choice. Tabitha remained tense for a minute before finally giving in to her emotions. She gripped his shirt tightly, as if it was the only thing keeping her from losing herself completely, and buried her face against his chest.

Morph knew that this was a time they didn't need a protoplasmic blob for comic relief, so he left, managing to pull her door shut with him.

He did not make statements telling her how everything would be okay, he did not ask question to find out what was wrong, he did not apologize for anything he may have said - he simply held her, and she was thankful for that. That was all she wanted at the time.

"Look, Tabitha," Jim whispered after a while. "You don't have to tell me what's bothering me if you don't want to. I wish you would... but I will never force you to do something you don't want to, or are not ready to do. But please, don't do this anymore. If you are upset, tell me you are. You don't have to tell me why, but don't put on a mask and pretend everything's okay. If you don't want to talk to me about it, then at least let me do this for you."

She gave a small nod. "I'm sorry, I'm just not sure... what to say."

"It's okay," he said. "And by the way I'm not mad at you."

"You aren't?"

"Of course not. I wasn't thinking when I was talking to you. I'm just... stressed, about having to figure out a way to do go without hurting my mom."

"You mean... you want to go?" Tabitha asked, the hope shining through in her voice. Jim nodded, and Tabitha smiled graciously. "Thank you, Jim. I wouldn't have been able to go without you. I need you to be with me."

"I'll always be with you," he said, sealing the promise with a kiss.

There was no need to question whether Jim would be staying with her that night. Refusing to move away from Jim's side even a fraction of an inch, Tabitha laid her head on his chest and both of them, still fully dressed in their day clothes, let sleep take control of them.

Tabitha never slept better.

* * *

**Whew!**

**Okay, well I hope you liked it even though it was ridiculously long.**

**As always, leave comments! Comments are to me what... well, I can't think of a good analogy, but you should leave some anyway!**

**Thanks for reading! I'll update again soon.**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Comments+**

**Horsygirl 96 - Sorry you aren't looking forward to the holidays. I'm looking forward to them, but I haven't really been in the Christmas spirit, which is kind of a downer. The dreams are related to the story, and they bring them closer. Jim will propose... as soon as he gets up the courage :D Well, Ivan's a bad guy, of course he's going to play Silver's weaknesses against him. I love your comments as much as you love my story!**

**23jk - Yep, you were right - Ivan's the villian. I'm glad you like it! Thanks for your comments!**

**anon - Thank you for your comments! Short & sweet - I like 'em.**

**HakushoRuruoni - I know, Silver just can't catch a break! Thank you for your comment! I'm glad you liked my story enough to read it all at once. And don't worry, Ivan will get his one way or another :P  
**


	25. All Too Familiar

**I know! It took forever! Please don't kill me!**

**I gave you another long chapter... does that help?**

**

* * *

**

Ivan finished explaining how he'd met up with Tabitha and Silver. Charlotte was speechless for a moment, then she smiled coyly up at him.

"You know, when you first came and found me all those years ago and told me about the treasure, I was skeptical, but I agreed to help you..."

* * *

_"So... you're Tabitha's godfather... and you want me to help you steal her fortune?"_

_"Precisely," Ivan nodded._

_"What's in it for me?"_

_"A percentage, naturally! That's the reason I came to you in the first place. Your father was always jealous of Melody's father, so I assumed you would naturally be jealous of your cousin Melody."_

_"I... I guess so."_

_"So, how about it?"_

_Charlotte gave the man a once over again. She couldn't find any holes in this story, and she really wanted to find this treasure. It had been her father's dream to be a part of the "family business" as he jokingly called it; he so wanted a part of the fortune like his older brother had. Her father was dead by now, but perhaps she could do this on her fathers behalf, for his sake._

_"What do I have to do?"_

_Ivan grinned. "Tabitha's mother, your cousin, has just passed away."_

_"I never met her," Charlotte mumbled to herself._

_"It doesn't matter now," Ivan waved away her comment. "The first thing you have to do is go to her funeral and play nice with Sam. He and Melody were working on the clues together. See if you can find out anything."_

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_

_"Has he decided to cooperate now?"_

_"Yes," Charlotte sighed. "I feel bad about having to threaten to kill Tabitha though. She is my family, after all."_

_Ivan's face hardened. "And had you ever even met her before Melody's death? Did you even care about her at all?"_

_"Well, no, but - "_

_"But nothing! If you didn't care then, don't start now."_

_"Okay..." Charlotte sighed._

_Ivan softened and walked over to her. "Don't worry, we won't actually have to kill her. It's just to give Sam a little motivation," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Remember why you're doing this."_

_"My father... I know, I haven't forgotten."_

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**  
_

_Charlotte walked into the house after Sam's funeral. 7 years into the search with Ivan, and they weren't any closer to finding the fortune than they had been the day he came to talk to her. Every time Sam had been sure he'd figured it out, and Charlotte had traveled off on another search to find out if he was right, he had been wrong. All they'd managed to do was make a list of places the fortune definitely wasn't._

_She walked through the house, easily weaving through the small number of people who had shown up at the funeral and made her way upstairs. It didn't take her long to find the clues she and Sam had been working on figuring out - they weren't exactly hidden. His closet, top shelf, a box with a note on top that read, "To my Tabitha: In the event of my sudden death." Charlotte scoffed at the sentimentality and opened the letter. To her surprise, it said nothing about the fortune. 3 lines that, as far as Charlotte could tell, really didn't explain anything. __Perhaps Sam had been trying to save her from ever knowing about it, to let this senseless search end with him. Charlotte had to admit it was becoming increasingly frustrating, but every time she came close to quitting, she remembered her father.  
_

_She resealed the envelope, stuck the box back on the shelf for now, and walked downstairs to play the part of a concerned relative._

_"I guess this is yours," she said as she handed the note to Tabitha._

_Tabitha took the note, casting Charlotte a puzzled glance, then opened it.  
_

_"What is this?" the child asked.  
_

_"I have no idea. I just found it in his closet and it was addressed to you."_

_"Right. Thanks..." Tabitha mumbled._

_With the girl distracted by the small number of guests saying their goodbyes to her, it was easy for Charlotte to grab the box and sneak out of the house unnoticed._

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_

_"What do you mean she's gone?!" Charlotte screamed. "She was there last night!"_

_"Well she wasn't there when I went just now. The house was completely abandoned!"_

_"Ugh!" Charlotte voiced her aggravation and stomped her foot. "Well what now? What brilliant plan do you have to save us this time?"_

_"Don't," Ivan threatened. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "She can't have gone far in a day... __we need to__ spread the word."_

_"Spread the word?"_

_"Go to one of the bars at the spaceport and start drunkenly blabbering about how there's a girl out there that knows how to get to the Reddend Fortune," Ivan explained. "If you want something found quickly, just tell a bunch of sailors and pirates on leave that it involves treasure. She hasn't had time to get out of the spaceport yet, so someone is sure to find her. When they do, word will spread quickly among the sailors and it will be easy to figure out who has her and get her from them."_

_"But - "_

_"I'll go with you. I have to go there anyway, I'm leaving again tomorrow."_

_"So why don't you just do it?"_

_"Because people there know me. No one knows who you are."_

_Charlotte was obviously confused. "Can we go through the plan one more time? I really don't understand - "_

_"Look, it's not that complicated," Ivan rolled his eyes. "We need Tabitha in order to figure out where the fortune is. When we do find her, I'm going to develop a relationship with her. The only way we can get to the fortune is if she trusts me. If I go to the spaceport and start blabbing about her and how she's the heir to the fortune and send a bunch of spacers out looking for her - "_

_"Then in will be clear that you aren't the trustworthy guardian you're supposed to be."_

_"Very good," Ivan smiled and kissed her forehead. "Now, let's get to the spaceport and find that little brat."_

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_

_Ivan sat with a friend at the bar and watched - well, listened, as it was hard to see her through the dark, smoke filled tavern and the crowd that had gathered around her - as she rather convincingly played the part of a drunk woman who somehow knew all about this Reddend girl._

_Every time someone asked her a question she couldn't answer - for example, how do you know this girl? - she managed to change the subject and it was quickly forgotten, for the time being at least. They crowd clamored for details about this girl that could supposedly lead them to a fortune, and their alcohol-lowered inhibitions didn't make them question some of the more shady facts. All it took to get their hopes up was to know that supposedly this girl was somewhere at the spaceport, which meant that everyone there had just a good a chance of finding her as the next person._

_Charlotte continued to keep her eye on Ivan and the man he was sitting with. She slowly stopped playing the part of a drunk and actually became one. She was becoming steadily tipsier and the details she was supposed to be explaining were becoming steadily foggier. What was that girls name again? It wasn't only the alcohol that was distracting her - it was that man, the man who was sitting at the bar beside Ivan. He looked just like... but it couldn't be him._

_Ivan eventually got up to leave and Charlotte made a note to herself to remember to leave a few minutes later, though she really wanted to wait for that man at the bar to leave. Then, as if designed by fate, he got up to leave just as she was about to. She craned her neck to see if it was really him... only to topple off of her stool. By the time she had been righted and stood up to leave, he was gone. Downhearted, she left the bar. When she walked out into the smoggy air and her vision began to double-image, she quickly realized she'd thrown back more drinks than she'd meant to.  
_

_"Charlotte!"_

_She turned around too quickly and dizzily fell into the arms of Ivan._

_"Oh, so you weren't pretending, were you? You actually are drunk," Ivan smirked at her. "That explains why you kept calling her 'Alexander' instead of 'Tabitha'."_

_"Tabitha... that's her name..." she looked up at Ivan's stern glare. "Sorry, I didn't wanta be drunk... I's just nervous."  
_

_"Good news - you have no reason to be anymore! I found her."_

_Charlotte gasped in surprise and looked down the road to where he pointed. There, sticking out like a sore thumb, was a girl clad in a white dress and a brown vest. Her face appeared nervous and she walked so quick that Charlotte was afraid they would lose her._

_"C'mon! W-we gotta go get her!" she said as she tried to pull out of Ivan's grasp._

_"Relax, I've taken care of it," Ivan said as he supported her. "I sent some of my friends to grab her."_

_"You have friends?"_

_Ivan rolled his eyes at her stupor. "All muscle and no brain. They'll be the crew coming with us when we go to get the fortune - Whoa!"__Ivan stopped when Charlotte suddenly stumbled and started to fall, until he caught her. "Easy there... come on. Let's get to an inn."_

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_

_Charlotte groggily awoke the next morning in a bed. She groaned as the nausea and headache overwhelmed her. This was not going to be - oh no. Someone was in bed with her. What...?_

_She turned her head to see that it was Ivan. Ivan? Was that a good thing, or a bad thing? Had they... no. Upon further realization she realized she was still fully dressed and that there was only one bed in the room. She breathed a sigh of relief just as there was a knock at the door._

_"Ivan?" she groaned. The knock came again and she shook him as much as she could without shaking herself. "Ivan, the door."_

_"Ugh..." he groaned as he threw his feet over the edge of the bed and pushed himself off._

_"What do you want?" Ivan asked in an annoyed voice._

_"It's the girl, sir. She got away."_

_"What? All of you... and you let that... that puny little girl get away?!" Ivan nearly shouted. "How the hell did you manage - "_

_"It wasn't our fault, sir," someone else spoke up. "Somebody saved her."_

_"Saved her?"_

_"Yes sir, we knew him. We've worked with him before. A big guy, a cyborg. He came and - "_

_"Cyborg?" Ivan stopped. "A cyborg saved the girl?"_

_"Y-yes sir," the man stuttered, worried that he'd said something wrong._

_Ivan rubbed his chin. Cyborg... it had to be Silver. Pirate or not, Silver had a heart, and he would be just the kind of man to save her. An evil smile graced Ivan's lips._

_"Fortunately for you, I believe this can all be fixed. Until it is, however, stay out of my sight."_

_"Yes sir. Of course, sir." The group mumbled as they hurried away.  
_

_ Ivan shut the door and turned back to see Charlotte awake. "They let - "_

_"I heard," she answered. "But... how are you going to fix this?"_

_Ivan chuckled and climbed back into bed. "Well, it looks like the plan worked even better than I had originally imagined. Not only was the girl found, she was found by someone I know - John Silver."_

_"J-john S-s-silver?" she stuttered in disbelief._

_Ivan didn't notice. "Yes. I'm almost certain that was the cyborg that saved her. Of course, we'll have to..."  
_

_Charlotte stopped listening. It had been him - the man at the bar. John Silver..._

_Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized Ivan was slowly getting closer to her... "And now, everything is finally coming together."_

_He ran his hand up her arms and moved even closer, until they were only inches apart. Charlotte's heart stopped as a barrage of thoughts twisted through her mind. No, she didn't want to - _

_A knock at the door interrupted everything. Ivan rolled his eyes in frustration and got out of bed, allowing Charlotte to release a sigh of relief unnoticed.  
_

_"Oy, what?" Ivan grumbled as he opened the door. "This better be good."_

_"I found 'er."_

_That voice...  
_

_"Who?" Ivan yawned._

_"T'e girl! Tha' Alexander girl we 'eard abou' las' nigh'!"_

_That's him...  
_

_Ivan pretended he had no idea what Silver was talking about. "What?! But, what? How?"_

_"Lon' story, bu' I saved 'er las' nigh'. 'er name's Tabitha Alexander, an' she's an orphan."_

_"Tabitha, you say?" Ivan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well... sounds plausible. What are you going to do?"_

_"Hired 'er as me cabin boy, try t' fin' some t'ings out," Silver said proudly._

_Charlotte's heart was racing, her head was reeling..._

_Ivan's heart lept with joy - he had been right. "Damn, wish I could join you... but I've already got this job lined up. Will you let me know? If you find anything out about the fortune?"  
_

_Silver agreed and left. Ivan smirked and turned back to Charlotte. "That was him alright."_

_Charlotte's only answer was to be sick to her stomach.  
_

_

* * *

  
_Charlotte smiled. "So when will she be here?"

"_They_ will be here sometime in the next week or so," Ivan said. "John's traveling with them."

"W-What?" Charlotte stuttered. John Silver was going to come? Here? To see her? She cleared her throat to try to cover up her shock - Ivan still had no idea that she had known John Silver... "I thought you were just going to find out information from John. Why is he coming?"

"Silver's been a sailor and a pirate the majority of his life, so maybe he'll be able to help figure out the clues and the maps. Plus, his relationship with that girl will make him willing to do just about anything to help her, which is why I told him about her plan."

"You what?! How could you - "

"Listen!" Ivan shouted. "It gave him a reason to come. He's not only like a father to the girl, he's a wanted felon. All I had to do was threaten to turn him in, or kill Tabitha if he refused to join us, and he was all set. Now, he won't dare chicken out or refuse to help and leave the girl alone."

Charlotte absorbed this new information for a moment. "But what if he just tells her and then she refuses to go?"

"We don't have to worry about her refusing to go. I made sure to emphasize how much her parents loved her and how much they did for her," Ivan said sarcastically. "She's not going to back out now. As for John telling her..." he laughed evilly and pulled Charlotte to him. "I'm counting on it."

* * *

Tabitha peacefully awoke around midday to the gentle sound of a guitar. Yawning, she rolled over and found Jim strumming the chords, humming quietly. When he realized she had awoken, he placed a hand on the strings to silence them.

"Good morning," he greeted as he leaned over and kissed her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"No," Tabitha sighed contentedly. "I like waking up like this."

"Like what?"

"With you here. It's nice," she smiled as she stretched and sat up.

Jim chuckled. "Well you know, I was thinking... when Ivan joins us on the ship, it might be nice to give him his own room instead of making him stay in the crew's quarters with a bunch of teenagers. So... we could give him your room, and you could stay with me?"

Tabitha raised her eyebrows at him. "I have a feeling you're just using Ivan as an excuse..."

"Okay, you caught me," Jim laughed and pulled her closer.

Despite his carefree attitude at the moment, Jim had some underlying serious reasons for asking Tabitha to stay with him. Ivan probably did deserve his own room, but mostly Jim was worried about her nightmares. Last night she'd been fine, but who knew how long that would last? Jim desperately wanted to help her, and he believed if he could be there when the dreams occurred it would give him an advantage on figuring out what was wrong without her actually having to say it.

"What are we doing today?" Tabitha asked Jim as she absentmindedly fiddled with his hand in hers.

"Well we slept in pretty late..." he paused. "You know, as your captain, I should probably say we need to go work out all the details of our trip so that we can be ready as soon as our friends get back," Jim started. "_But_ as your boyfriend, I'd say I have some other things in mind," he said as he lightly ran his hand up her arm.

"Uh-huh... and what would these "other things" be?"

Jim smiled and kissed her as an answer. "Why don't we just stay here all day?" he asked a moment later when they seperated.

"You mean in bed?" Tabitha giggled.

"I didn't say that, but if that's what _you_ think..."

"Oh, you mean like a mental health day?" she pretended to be clueless. "Because as a doctor, I'd say that sounds most beneficial to our psychological health."

"I was actually thinking more along the lines of something that might be beneficial to our physical health," Jim said slyly as he kissed her neck.

His warm breath and touch sent pleasant chills up her spine, but she was refused to simply give in. "You can go ride your solar surfer for exercise if you're so worried about your 'physical health'."

"Oh, thanks a lot."

"Well that's what you get with a cheesy pick up line like that."

Jim smirked, then began to tickle her. Amidst their peals of laughter, she fought to get out of his grasp while he did his best to wrestle her down. Quickly, the tables turned and Tabitha was in control of the situation. She pinned Jim down, straddling him and holding down his arms so that he couldn't fight back.

"You should never start a fight with a girl who can finish it," she teased.

"Okay, okay, I've learned my lesson... though I wouldn't really call ending up with a beautiful girl on top of me 'losing'," he added mischievously.

"You are _such_ a typical guy. Your hormones just - " She stopped when she noticed his facial expression had changed. "What's that face about?"

"You really are beautiful, Tabitha."

"Whatever," Tabitha dismissed the compliment.

"No, really you are," Jim insisted. "How in the Etherium did I ever end up with someone like you?"

Tabitha was taken aback and blushed at the suddenness of his comment, then slowly leaned down to kiss him. Just as their lips touched, Jim took this opportune moment to flip Tabitha over and switch their positions so that he was no in control. Tabitha fought and wriggled, the whole time trying not to laugh, but could not escape his grasp.

"Oh, whats the matter? Having a little trouble?" Jim taunted.

"That's a foul!" she cried in offense. Morph appeared from nowhere - probably slipped under the door again - and Tabitha pleaded to him. "Morph, isn't Jim cheating?"

Morph shook his head and the turned into a bell, ringing it three times to signify the end of the 'round'.

"Thank you, Morph," Jim said.

"Oh, what do _you_ know?" Tabitha criticized Morph. Then, with a sudden burst of strength, she pushed Jim off of her. Jim lost his balance and fell of the bed, pulling Tabitha down too. Tabitha landed on top of Jim as they both stopped fighting and burst into another uncontrollable bout laughter.

Moments later, their door opened. "What t'e devil are t'e two o' ya doin'? I send Morph up here t' - " Silver stopped and eyed the couple on the floor. "Why is it e'ry time I here some ruckus an' come t' check on it, I find ya like t'is?"

Tabitha rolled off of Jim and they finally managed to calm down.

"Well? Wha' was it t'is time? D'ya _'fall'_ again?"

"We were wrestling," Tabitha explained as she pulled herself up.

"Which wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said 'physical'..." Jim murmured so only Tabitha could hear.

"Wrestlin', eh?" Silver said as he crossed his arms. "Well, looked t' me like Tabby had ya pinned down, Jimbo. D'ya let her win, or did ya actually get beat by a gal?"

"Ha!" Tabitha said triumphantly.

"You didn't beat me! I was winning until I fell!"

"Because you cheated!"

"Distracting you with compliments isn't cheating!"

Morph flew between the two of them and scolded Jim, then raised Tabitha's hand in the air to declare her the winner. Tabitha cast Jim a smug look.

"I though you were on my side you little squid!" Jim said as he tried to grab the blob.

"Aww, don't feel t' bad about yerself, lad. I t'ink Tabby here 'ad an unfair advantage," Silver said placing a hand on Jim's shoulder.

"Learned it from the best," Tabitha said, giving Silver a couple of punches to the arm.

Jim looked up at Silver. "You taught Tabitha how to fight?"

"More jus' defend 'erself," Silver corrected. "After wha' 'appened t' her wit' t'ose men in t'e alleyway, I t'ought it was somethin' she migh' need t' know."

"Yeah, so don't feel too bad about getting beat by a girl, Jim," Tabitha said in mock comfort. "I'm _sure_ it was only because she knew how to defend herself."

"Oh, that's it. You're going down, Alexander," Jim laughed and chased Tabitha out of the room.

Morph giggled and flew after them. Silver's amusement disappeared as he remembered he was going to have to take away that happiness.

Jim caught Tabitha at the bottom of the stairs and threw her over his shoulder.

"James Pleiades Hawkins! Put me down this instant!" Tabitha demanded.

"This instant!" Morph said as he buzzed around them.

"Not a chance."

He spun her around a few times before finally lowering her back to the ground. Tabitha blew the bangs out of her face. "Jerk," she muttered, clearly joking.

Jim stared suspiciously at her for a second, then smiled. Grabbing her hand he pulled her straight into a kiss. She of course didn't resist, but a moment after she had wrapped her arms around Jim's neck, he pulled back, rubbing his head.

"Ow! What - " Jim asked angrily as he looked around to see who had hit him.

Morph was chattering warily at them. Before Jim could complain, Morph pointed timidly to the other side of the dining room, where Mrs. Hawkins was standing there glaring with hands on her hips. "Mad," the blob explained.

"You two are adorable and all, but I'm not sure our _guests_ - " she emphasized, loosely gesturing around the room " - really want to see that."

The couple looked around at the crowd gathered at the tables. Some were snickering, some looking shocked or offended, some looking on knowingly at the young love - but in any case, all eyes were on them, which was enough to make Tabitha start fiddling with her hair and Jim turn scarlet.

"Nonsense!" Silver laughed as he came down the stairs. "Ya can simply start advertisin' dinner an' a show!"

* * *

One meal - breakfast or lunch, depending on how you look at it - later found Tabitha and Silver outside, watching Jim perform stunts on his solar surfer in what little sunlight there was. The humidity from the night before still hung in the air and the dark clouds and occasional thunder made it clear that rain was coming soon. Jim insisted that he'd still be able to ride though, and was now showing off, presumably for Silver.

"So, how'd ya like t'e academy?"

Tabitha shrugged. "It was neat. I mean, my classes were difficult, and the teachers weren't always too fond of me and Jim and the rest of our friends - "

"Oh, so ya got in t' trouble a lot, did ya?" Silver smirked.

"Not a _lot_... but more than we should have. None of it was ever real serious though." She laughed and added, "Plus the headmaster loved Jim, so he could usually weasel us out of anything."

"Well, ya couldn't 'ave been too bad if ya graduated first in yer class! Look at ya - Valedictorian," Silver said with a smile.

Tabitha smiled and began twisting the ends of her hair. "You know you're the only reason I made it."

"What d'ya mean, lass?"

"The whole reason I went to the academy, the reason I tried so hard, the reason I was able to make Valedictorian... I just wanted you to be proud."

Silver looked surprised at this confession. "I _am_ proud of ya, Tabby."

Tabitha turned her attention away from Jim and looked up at Silver, a huge smile plastered across her face from his praise. "Thanks."

"Sorry fer missin' out on so much. I'd loved t' 'ave seen ya graduate," he said apologetically.

"It's alright..." Tabitha mumbled, looking down at her hands.

"No it wasn'," Silver scolded. "I should 'ave kept in touch - "

"You couldn't have! You were on the run!"

"I could 'ave dropped ya a line or - "

"Stop it," Tabitha frowned. "Don't focus so much on the past." She stepped over and hugged him. "You're here _now_."

Silver hugged back, perhaps a little tighter than he normally would have.

"Did you see that?!" Jim asked as he landed a few feet away from the pair.

"I certainly did, Jimbo! Ya sure 'ave got a knack fer tha' t'ing," Silver said. "Now I wanna see Tabby!"

Tabitha scoffed. "No way."

"Why no', lass?"

"Don't bother, Silver," Jim stopped him. "I've only gotten her to ride it with me once."

"She scared?"

"Yeah, that and she's really bad at it," Jim chuckled.

"Hey!" Tabitha shouted. "I got used to it after we were on it for a while."

"Until you almost fell," Jim rolled his eyes.

Tabitha glared at them, then snatched the board from Jim and stood on it. "Tell me how to steer."

"Tabby, ya don' have t' ride it," Silver told her. "Don' get hur' jus' cause - ."

"I won't," she said calmly. "How do you work this thing, Jim?"

"Tabitha, maybe Silver's right..." Jim began hesitantly. "Are you sure you - "

"Yes."

The teens stared each other down until finally Jim sighed and gave in. "Okay, put both hands on this bar and use it to steer. This pedal controls the brakes, this button releases the sail - but you won't need to do that, so don't press it - and this button starts it up. Make sure you - "

"Got it," Tabitha said as she prepared to take flight.

"No wait! You have to - "

But it was too late; she'd already started it and taken off at a lighting fast speed. She managed to go about a hundred feet before she pitched forward and flipped over. She rolled across the ground and finally came to a stop; The solar surfer skidded to a halt a few feet away. Jim fearfully rushed towards her, with Silver not far behind.

"Tabitha!" Jim shouted as he knelt beside her. He started to carefully turn her over when he realized she was laughing.

"Tabby!" Silver said when he reached them a few second later.

"Ow... well that was short lived," she giggled. They both stared at her wide eyed but she shook the crash off as no big deal. "That was fun!"

"Ya sure yer alrigh'?" Silver asked.

"You didn't hit your head or anything, did you? Does anything hurt?" Jim questioned.

"I'm _fine_. Trust me, I'm a doctor, remember?" she said as she stood up. "What did I do wrong?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Jim said seriously. "You have to have your foot on the brake and then slowly ease off or it will just take off like that when you start it."

"Oh." She nervously ran her fingers through the ends of her hair. "Sorry... is your surfer alright?"

Jim picked it up and surveyed it, then sighed. "The sail tore."

"Oh, Jim, I'm really sorry. I... it was my fault. I was being stupid. I'll pay to get it fixed."

He gave her a half-hearted smile. "It's no big deal. I've can fix it. Trust me, this board's seen a lot worse."

Tabitha released her breath and smiled back apologetically. Silver grabbed her and embraced her tightly. "Silver, I'm fine! You don't have to smother me!"

"Sorry, lass," Silver said. "I hope I'm not aroun' when ya actually get hurt..."

"_When_? Are you suggesting I'm accident prone, or am I just naturally in more danger when you're around?"

Thunder rumbled overhead, and they turned their heads upward just as the rain lightly began to fall.

"Let's go back in," Silver said, his demeanor now much more solemn.

Tabitha couldn't help noticing his attitude change when she'd asked the question, and how he hadn't answered...

_**

* * *

**_"Mom?" Jim asked hesitantly as he approached her. "I need to talk to you."

The dinner crowd was finally gone and Mrs. Hawkins was finished with work for the night. As the rain tapped against the glass, she flipped through the screens, trying to find something more cheerful to cover up the gloom outside.

"Sure. What is it?" she asked pleasantly as she decided on a clear, starry night as a backdrop.

"It's this trip... We're still going."

Mrs. Hawkins turned slowly to Jim. His face made it clear he felt guilty going against her wishes; she sighed. "I know you are, Jim."

"What?"

"I knew if you really wanted to go on this trip, I wouldn't be able to say anything to stop you," she said as she brushed his bangs out of his face. "It makes sense. You love Tabitha, so you want to help and protect her. You love adventure, so of course your ready to head off on some crazy trip. And... you loved your father."

Jim was startled by this comment. "What does that...?"

"Are you telling me that knowing this fortune is the reason your father left hasn't increased your curiosity at all?"

"Okay... you're right," he sighed. "But you know I'll always - "

"Always come back. Yes, Jim, I know," she assured him. "I don't expect you to be like Leland. I'm not... happy that you're going, but I have accepted it. Please try and understand why I'm so worried about you going on this trip though."

"I do mom," Jim smiled. "And... thanks."

They retired to the den together, where most everybody else was already gathered. Dr. Doppler was sitting in one of the big easy chairs, holding two of his daughters - the red head, Danielle, and the brunette, Marianne. Amelia was trying to hold onto a squirming little boy, Benedict. Tabitha was sitting in front of the fireplace, playing patty-cake with the blonde, Alison.

"So tell me, Tabitha, when will you be embarking on this expedition of yours? - Oh, thank you Sarah," Dr. Doppler said as Mrs. Hawkins relieved him of Marianne.

"Just a few more days."

"Yeah, as soon as they get back, we're going," Jim added. He approached Amelia and the squirming little boy. "Can... can I - ?"

The mother smiled and handed Benedict to Jim. Benedict stopped squirming when he realized he was free of his mother's grasp and clapped his hands together happily. Jim smiled and joined Tabitha on the rug in front of the fire, grabbing a ball to keep the child entertained.

"Out of curiousity, Mr. Hawkins, how will this voyage compare to our last?" Amelia questioned.

Jim thought for a moment. "I don't know. I'm not really going on them for the same reason, so it's kind of hard to compare the two."

"And what are your reasons?" Mrs. Hawkins asked.

"Well, the voyage to Treasure Planet was kind of like... getting to live out one of my favorite childhood stories, and while I wanted to go just for the heck of adventure, I was mostly going for you, mom."

"You were going to 'set things right', if I recall," his mother smiled.

At that moment, Silver entered the room and took a seat, but made no attempt to join in the conversation.

"Exactly," Jim continued. "But this trip seems... I don't know, maybe it's just because I'm older or something, but it seems more... real. It's not just a story I read when I was a kid. I don't want to say this trip is more important, but... that's kind of how it feels."

"Does that have thing to do with Tabitha?" Dr. Doppler asked humorously.

"Yeah, it might, Doc," Jim said, smiling over at her.

Tabitha grinned back. "Well I know I'm really excited. I can't wait to meet Charlotte again and find out more about my parents from Ivan and then go and find the treasure... It's so weird to think that all this time, there's been someone out there that knew my family and was looking for me." She sighed happily. "It seems almost too good to be true."

It was at this point that Benedict decided that, instead of rolling the ball back to Jim, he would throw it at Alison. The girl burst into tears as the ball bounced into her and knocked her over. Tabitha scooper her up and calmed her.

"I believe it's their bedtime," Amelia said to Dr. Doppler, who nodded in agreement.

"Good night, Ali," Tabitha said as she kissed the little girls forehead.

Jim picked up Benedict. "Hey, Benni, don't hit your sister anymore, okay?" The little boy put his thumb in his mouth and leaned against Jim's shoulder sleepily. Jim chuckled. "I'll take that as a maybe."

They passed the children off to their parents who, along with Mrs. Hawkins, adjourned to bed. Tabitha and Jim sat down together on one of the couches near the fireplace, where the flames had died down to nothing but a dull glow.

"Hey, Silver, did you forget how to talk?" Tabitha asked.

Silver looked up. "Hmm? Oh, I's jus' t'inkin', lass."

"About what?" Jim questioned.

"Jus' t'is trip," Silver said as he worriedly rubbed his chin.

Jim and Tabitha looked at each other, each wondering why Silver was suddenly so sullen.

"Is something wrong?" Tabitha asked.

"Well..." Silver began hesitantly. "Yes."

"What is it?" Jim asked in a low voice.

Silver looked up at the concerned faces of the two kids and sighed. "Ya can't go on t'is trip."

Tabitha's face didn't change for a minute, and then she laughed in disbelief. "What?"

"Ya can't go. Ivan, he's... well, he's usin' ya, Tabby."

"Using her?" Jim questioned, his voice rising slightly.

"Yeah," Silver sighed again. "I wen' t' talk t' him one nigh' an' he tol' me tha' he's gonna take the fortune from ya."

"What?" Tabitha breathed.

"He asked - no, tol' - me t' help him. He said he wanted me t' help him try an' get any information from ya, and t'en use it t' get find t'e fortune, an' tha' if I didn't go with an' help, he would still take t'e fortune from ya, bu' t'en he'd kill ya."

Tabitha felt her pulse speed up. What? Had she heard right?

"Wait, what?" Jim asked angrily. "You're telling me that Tabitha's godfather told you that he wanted your help in stealing her fortune, and that if you didn't, he'd... kill her?" Jim stood up and started to pace. "That doesn't make sense... Why would he tell _you_?"

"Because they used to be friends," Tabitha answered, her face unwavering from the a stunned look.

Jim looked at her, then back at Silver. "What?"

"Aye. Years ago."

"Well surely he knows that Tabitha's like a daughter to you now. Why would you help him steal from her?"

"I'm guessin' he t'inks I'm still t'e pirate I was when we was friends," Silver shrugged. "If I was, I'd 'ave no problem goin' an' helpin steal from Tabby here... I guess t'ats why he threatened 'er, too. If I'm really no' t'e pirate he t'inks I am, t'en I'd still go to protect 'er."

"So he was trying to make sure you'd go?" Tabitha asked as she rubbed her forehead in confusion. "Why? Wouldn't it be easier to steal from me if you _weren't_ there?"

"It goes back to the pirate thing, doesn't it?" Jim guessed. "Ivan thinks he'll get the fortune if Silver helps because he's a pirate, or if he's trying to protect you because he cares about you."

"'xactly, Jimbo."

Silver felt a twinge of guilt at glorifying these answers. That wasn't the reason Ivan had asked Silver and why he believed Silver joining them would be beneficial, and now he'd just passed up the opportune moment to tell Tabitha why he'd really saved her in the alley that night... but that could wait - what she didn't know, couldn't hurt her.

"So ya see now? If we go, Ivan'll end up wit' t'e treasure no matter wha'."

The three of them all stood there in silence for a minute, working the story through their heads. Silver was still trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing by not upsetting Tabitha anymore by telling her he too had once been a part of this plan. Tabitha was thinking about how much of a let down it would be if she didn't get to go, and how, even though Ivan could end up with the treasure, she still wanted to go, at least to find out more about her past. Jim was attempting to work through every detail of the story; he knew something was missing, but he couldn't figure out what. He was the first to speak again.

"We're still going."

"What?!" Silver and Tabitha both said.

"We are? Really?" Tabitha asked excitedly, glad that she wasn't the only one who still wanted to go.

"Are ya crazy, lad?" Silver asked. "Ya wanna put Tabitha in danger jus' so - "

"No," Jim said darkly. "I am _not_ going to put Tabitha in danger. Think about it: if we all went - the three of us, plus all of our friends - and Ivan was the only one against us, how would he be able to take on all of us?"

Silver stared blankly at him for a minute, then turned away. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

"What's the problem?" Tabitha exclaimed. "Jim's right - with all of us, there's no way Ivan would ever be able to - "

"It's no' jus' Ivan, it's t'e trip itself. It's no' gonna be easy. If anybody finds out wha' yer out lookin' fer... No. I'm not gonna let ya put yerselves in danger jus' for the heck o' some treasure!" Silver said sternly turning back on both of them.

"Look who's talking!" Jim shouted back. They glared at each other and Tabitha intervened.

"Silver... what Jim said makes sense. I think we should still go. I know the trip's dangerous, but we can handle it, and if we're all together, nobody will get hurt."

Silver shook his head in disappointment. "I don' t'ink t'ats true anymore, Tabby."

"Why?"

"I... it's too hard t' figure out who t' trust now."

Tabitha looked close to tears, but her voice stayed steady. "You already told me you didn't trust Ivan... but you said you'd still come with me."

"Tha' was afore he tol' me his plan!"

"So now you know I need you more than ever!"

Silver hesitated. "Well I'll no' be goin'."

"What?" Tabitha whispered.

"If yer countin' on me to protect ya, don'. I won' help ya."

Tabitha swallowed anxiously. "But this is really important to me..."

"I know 'tis, lass," Silver said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Bu' I don' wan' ya t' get hurt."

"Then come with me! I won't get hurt if you - "

"I can't protect ya from everyt'ing! T'e only way t' keep ya safe is fer ya no' to go."

Tabitha shook her head in disbelief at what she was hearing, from Silver of all people. "So what then? You're never going to let me travel anywhere because it might be dangerous!"

"No! I," Silver began impatiently. "Look, ya graduated from t'e academy. Ya should be goin' on respectable voyages, not t'ings like t'is!"

"But I want to go on this trip."

"Yer no' goin', and tha's final!"

"Silver..." Tabitha said, hovering somewhere between tears and shouting. "You... you can't stop me."

Several emotions flickered across Silver's face, and then it hardened. "I can't?"

"N-no. I-I still want to go. I understand that it's dangerous, but you've let me go on dangerous trips with you before."

He advanced closer to Tabitha so that he was towering over her, making her gulp out of fear. Jim had taken a few steps back during their discussion, but now he stepped forward to her again.

"Now mark me - I'll keep ya from goin' anyway I can."

"But you - " Tabitha tried to say.

"I'll not have ya traipsin' 'cross the Etherium - "

"It's only - "

"Riskin' yer life - "

"I won't - "

"Jus' to see tha' Bryne fella get wha's rightfully yers!"

"I'm not going for the fortune! I'm going - "

"Tha's jus' more reason ya don' need to be riskin' yer life!"

"I just want to - "

"Don' argue wit' me, Tabitha Renee!"

"Stop it, Silver! You aren't my father!"

That settled it. Silver took a step back and Tabitha gasped at what she had just said. Jim realized that the argument had suddenly just jumped to a whole other level, and he stepped fully in between the two of them to mediate.

"Uh, pardon me - " B.E.N. said as he opened the door. "Is everything okay in here? I heard yelling, and yelling usually isn't good."

"It's fine, B.E.N.," Jim said.

Morph flew into the room, chirping happily to the them. When he saw that none of them looked very pleased, Morph's face fell and he swished over to Jim and jabbered quietly to him, gesturing questioningly to Tabitha and Silver. Jim sighed.

"Oh, okay..." B.E.N. nodded. "Well, I'll just, um... I'll just be going to bed now."

Jim waited for the door to close all the way behind the robot before talking again. "Look, we're all obviously... tired, and stressed, from everything that's been going on. Let's just go to bed, and we'll figure everything out in the morning."

Silver stared at Tabitha, his expression somewhere between anger and remorse, but she refused to look up at him. Keeping her eyes focused on the ground, she left the room and followed Jim up the stairs. Neither of them spoke as they went to their separate bedrooms and changed clothes. Tabitha really didn't want to talk about what she had just said, but the guilt was eating her up inside. When she couldn't stand it any longer, she gave in and walked over to Jim's room.

"Yes?" Jim responded to her light knock.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Jim was already in bed, but he sat up when she entered.

She sighed heavily and sat down at the foot of his bed. "I shouldn't have said that."

"You were mad." She shot Jim a look that clearly said she didn't want him to stick up for her and he sighed. "Okay, it was kind of harsh... but it's Silver. He'll forgive you, don't worry."

"Guess your right... but I shouldn't have let it get out of hand like that."

"Hey, look at me," Jim said as he crawled down to her. "It's going to be okay." Jim knew he was probably about to touch on something really sensitive... but he had to know if Tabitha... "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

Jim looked back up at her, looking guilty for even asking this. "Did... something seem, I don't know, _off_ about Silver's story?"

Her eyes widened. "You noticed too?"

"Yeah," Jim said as a crease in his forehead developed. "I feel like we're missing something... like the pieces just don't quite fit together."

"Like there's something important we're... forgetting to question."

"Exactly..."

They sat there in silence for a second, contemplating what this missing piece might be, then Tabitha shrugged. "I still believe him though, don't you?"

"Of course I believe him. I don't think he'd make something like that up!" Jim said. "What I don't understand in all of this is Ivan. What was he thinking, telling Silver about this plan?"

"Tell me about it. I - " Tabitha paused, wondering if she should finish her thought. "I almost wish I'd never met him."

Jim started to object to her statement, but stopped - he could see where she was coming from. "Well at least now we know we can't trust him... although, honestly, I never really did."

"Jim!"

"What? I'm sorry, but ever since that day at Kinapis I've had this nagging feeling that something wasn't right, and I think it's because of him."

"Yeah..." Tabitha agreed sadly. "I wish there was some way to... to tell him not to come."

"I think it's a little late for that," Jim said. "Even if we told him not to, he'd just follow us or something. Ivan's obviously really determined."

"I think I'm beginning to understand why Silver didn't trust him."

The two stared at each other, then laughed at Tabitha's major understatement.

Jim recalled something Tabitha had said earlier. "Hey, when you said you weren't going just for the fortune... what did you mean?"

She sighed heavily. "I wanted to go because I thought it would be interesting to see what my parents had worked on trying to find for so long... and I thought it might be fun for you to be the captain of a voyage that was 'just for fun'," she smiled and gave a small shrug. "I'd like to end up with the treasure... but that's not the most important thing to me. If Ivan ends up with it in the end, so be it, as long as everyone I love is safe."

Jim thought for a moment, then had an idea. "Why don't we just go to Lacuna to talk to Charlotte?"

Tabitha squinted at him. "That's what we're already doing, isn't it?"

"No, I mean _just_ that," Jim explained. "If you don't care about the fortune that much, then we can just go talk to Charlotte, find out about your parents and your family from her, then tell Ivan to get lost and never have to worry about traveling with him again."

"_And_ Silver could come with us and he wouldn't have to worry about us being in danger or anything. Jim, that's perfect!"

"Well, I am captain after all," Jim boasted. Tabitha rolled her eyes, but they both laughed. "We'll tell Silver in the morning."

Tabitha nodded and stood up. She walked all the way to the door before Jim spoke again.

"What, you aren't going to stay?"

She turned around and smiled. "I was waiting on you to ask."

"You always have an open invitation."

They quietly snickered as she climbed under the covers and put her head on his chest.

"Jim?" she whispered after a minute.

"Hmm?"

She yawned. "I love you..."

Jim opened his eyes and looked down at her, but she looked to already be asleep. He kissed the top of her head and she smiled dreamily.

Confident and reassured, they were both asleep in a matter of minutes. Tabitha's peace didn't last long though...

* * *

**_"...I almost wish I'd never met him."_**

**_"Well at least now we know we can't trust him... although, honestly, I never really did."_**

**_"Jim!"_**

**_"What? I'm sorry, but ever since that day at Kinapis I've had this nagging feeling that something wasn't right, and I think it's because of him."_**

**_"Yeah... I wish there was some way to... to tell him not to come."_**

**_"I think it's a little late for that..."_**

Too late, Silver realized this was a conversation he shouldn't be listening to. He stepped away from the door as thoughts and plans formulated themselves in his mind.

Is that really how Tabitha and Jim feel? That he couldn't be trusted? That they didn't want him to come with them?

Silver had had a hard time believing that Tabitha would truly go if he didn't. He'd been sure that, without his protection and support, they would change their minds. It had been an empty threat, though. If they were really still going to go, he would have given in and gone too, despite that father comment she'd made; she had just been mad... at least, that's what he'd thought until he'd heard what they just said. Maybe that comment hadn't been so innocent after all... Silver didn't know what had happened between them, only that it changed things.

Silver sat on his bed, staring blankly at the door, for minutes? hours? Who knew? Eventually he made his decision... and he was almost okay with it.

If they didn't want him with them, he wouldn't go.

Tabitha and Jim could go on this adventure that they were determined to go on and wouldn't have to be bothered by Silver coming, Ivan would still be able to get the fortune (if he could), and Silver didn't have to feel guilty about helping Ivan and he was still able to watch out for his (almost) daughter.

Silver quickly scribbled down a note and left it on the bed, along with fair amount of money (it was the least he could do in return for what he was about to do).

He looked around his bedroom once more. He hated to do this, to leave her, but maybe it was the only way - everyone would be happy.

And, after all, he wasn't leaving really.

* * *

_A quiet room..._

_A shadowy figure..._

_A packed suitcase..._

_A mumbled voice..._

_The darkened hallway..._

_The creaking stairs..._

_The door slamming shut._

"Silver!" Tabitha shouted.

She was sitting upright in bed, panting heavily.

"Hmm, wha - " Jim mumbled as he too woke up. "What happened?"

"Silver's gone." Tabitha had never thought that dreams could predict things... but she had a sure feeling hers just did.

"What?" Jim asked again as he rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on what Tabitha was saying.

Tabitha flung back the covers and raced out into the hall, down to Silver's room. Without bothering to knock, she threw open the door... and stared at the empty room.

What she had said slowly dawned on Jim. Suddenly wide awake, he looked out the window, the early rays of dawn just illuminating the boats in front of the inn.

This was all too familiar.

Jim raced out into the hallway, saw Tabitha standing frozen in front of Silver's open door, and headed down the steps.

This was all too familiar.

Jim flew open the front door and it crashed into the wall behind it. He raced half-way down the slick walkway in front of the Benbow, and stopped, and stood there in the misty morning air.

This was all too familiar... except this time, there was no one to run after, no one to reach for, no one to cry out at.

He stood facing the dock where the boats of guests at the inn were tied down... and quickly realized his was not among them.

"No," was the only thing he could mutter to himself, and that wasn't reassuring at all.

It was a mistake... something was... It just couldn't be like this. There was no way this was happening. A dream! Yes, of course! He was dreaming.

But the wet air that was making him shiver told him otherwise - he was awake, and this was very real.

By the time he was able to make his feet move again and head back up to his home, he could see that his mother was comforting a sobbing Tabitha just inside the door.

He stepped inside and fell into a wooden chair at a table by the window. Morph flew from his place on Tabitha's shoulder to him and cooed sadly, but Jim didn't look at him.

"He's _gone_?" Mrs. Hawkins asked in a small voice. "How?"

"Our ship."

"What?" both of the girls asked as Tabitha pulled back out of the mother's embrace.

Jim sighed and angrily flipped off the starry night background that was still obscuring the window, allowing them to gaze out into the harbor.

"It's gone..." Tabitha mumbled. "W-why..."

"I don't know why," Jim said bitterly. "Morph, what - "

"We already asked," Tabitha said through her sobs.

Morph nodded, then turned into a miniature Silver walking out of the front door, then back into himself, chattering worriedly.

"That's all he could tell us," Mrs. Hawkins said. "I-I just don't understand..."

"It's my fault!" Tabitha cried, covering her face with her hands.

Jim quickly stood and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back, trying his best to comfort her, but hardly able to while he was still so upset himself.

Mrs. Hawkins looked to Jim for an explanation, but he looked at her pleadingly and she finally just nodded and whispered, "We'll talk later."

Jim nodded thankfully and she left to go to the kitchen, taking Morph with her. Jim closed his eyes and leaned his head against Tabitha's neck.

The couple stood in the open doorway, confused, rejected, insecure...

Alone.

* * *

**I know, it's melodramatic.**

**Alas, we have answered questions and we have new questions.**

**How does Charlotte know Silver? What happened to Silver? What will become of Tabitha's fortune? What will Ivan's reaction to all this be?**

**And have I mentioned that I have no clue what I'm doing with this story? Because I really don't. **

**I realize the plot has a lot to it (my bad - I didn't mean for it to be so complicated), but if you are truly confused, let me know so I can fix it.  
**

**If any of you have questions, or concerns, or confusions (is that even a word?), or the like - please leave a comment.**

**Thank you! I hope I haven't lost you guys yet.  
**


	26. Empathy, Romance, Explanations, Ranks

**--Replies to Comments--**

**SweetAngel183: Thank you! Your wait is over :D  
anon: Thanks! Yeah, I thought that was pretty cute too.  
Horsygirl 96: No, that part I had planned, but that was pretty much all I had. I started out this story knowing that Tabitha's family was somehow going to be involved with another treasure so they'd have to go hunt for it - everything else I've made up as I went. Thank you very much! I'm glad you like it.  
23jk: Whew! *wipes brow* Good, I'm glad no one's lost. I was kind of worried. I'm so glad you think it's improving! Thank you!**

**Alright, moving right along. Hope you enjoy!  
-Emily**

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

Looking out my window, I could see that night had fallen. The day had passed by in a hazy blur of tears, explanations to my mom and Doc and Amelia, and general confusion and anxiety from the whole situation. Saying that it had been a long day would have been the understatement of the century. The day had certainly earned its rank near the top of my "worst days ever" list.

Tabitha and I stood in the doorway for at least an hour that morning before she managed to calm down even a little, but it wasn't long before she was crying again, despite how hard she tried not too. I didn't mind being there to comfort her at all - it hurt me to see her that upset - but it was exhausting. I'd pushed my feelings to the side to focus on her, and by the time I managed to break away that afternoon, it was all I could do to drag myself up to my room to be alone for a little while.

I wasn't even sad or upset so much as I was angry. I just couldn't believe he would abandon us, especially Tabitha, like that. He knew how we felt about him; he knew he was like a father to the both of us, and yet he just... left. I just wanted to forget it, but it wasn't possible; there was too much to think about.

_Why did he leave?_ Tabitha was convinced it was because of what she'd said about him not being her father, and, as much as I didn't want to think it, it did seem related to that.. but that just couldn't be the whole reason. No way would Silver abandon us because of one angry comment; there was something else, and I had a feeling that 'something else' was related to why he hadn't wanted Tabitha to go in the first place.

_Why was there no explanation, and what was with the money?_ The note he'd left us could was completely useless as far as I could tell. A folded piece of paper that simply read "I'm sorry. Just trust me. I love you." That was it. No explanations, no reasoning, no telling us when he'd be back... _What was the point?_ And the money was just as much of a mystery. Why would he leave it? And if he had money, why didn't he just go buy his own ship? One that was better suited toward him? Why take ours? _Add that to the bank of questions left unanswered..._

This was where a lot of my anger came from. Our ship - he _stole_ our ship. I didn't even care why he had, only that he had. _Our ship._ If he wasn't going to buy one with his money, he could have at least stolen a strangers. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, I was mad. It was my first ship, a gift from my mom (and him in a way, since he'd given us the money), and now it was gone.

But even my disbelief that Silver had actually stolen from us paled in comparison to my shock at how similar this morning had been in comparison to when my dad left. _Waking up, running down the stairs, running down the path..._ maybe that was why it was so intense; it was like having to relive the worst thing that had ever happened to me. _Just like Tabitha keeps having to do in her dreams._

She'd finally explained them to me and, needless to say, I was shocked. It helped me understand why she was so adamant on blaming herself for Silver's disappearance. Tabitha explained that she hadn't wanted to tell me because she was sure I would jump to conclusions and begin distrusting Silver, and to be fair, I might have. Although the "him" the, as she described it, familiar, yet mysterious, voice kept telling her not to trust only seemed to be clearly talking about Silver in the first dream, it was clear now that "him" must have meant "Silver" in all of them. She was sure that if she'd only told me, we could have somehow prevented this. I understood what she meant, but even with the knowledge of what her dreams were about, I don't think I could have predicted this.

Her dreams were foretelling the future in a way, though. I went through everything she'd told me, step by step, again. The first dream had told her that we couldn't trust Silver, that he wouldn't come, and so on, then he did - we found him the next day at the spaceport. The second dream said that he wasn't trustworthy - apparently it was right. The last three had all been somewhat unclear, but it still seemed to me that there were some hidden truth's in these dreams. I didn't think she was crazy or weird, but there was something... not right about those dreams. Whether they were actually predicting the future or were just visions created by her subconscious, I had a bad feeling about them.

Finally, after hours of being up here, I realized I was eventually going to have to face the world again... plus, I was hungry. When I got downstairs, I realized it was later than I'd originally thought; the dining room and sitting areas were all empty of inn patrons. It couldn't have been to late though because my mom was still awake when I walked into the kitchen.

"Jim!" she sounded surprised to see me. "How are you feeling?"

"Not great," I shrugged.

She brushed my hair out of my face and placed her hand on my forehead. "You aren't sick are you?"

"No, mom, I'm not sick," I half smiled at her motherly instincts.

She smiled worriedly. "I was just about to go to bed. Do you need anything?"

"No, go ahead. I'm fine," I assured her.

"Okay... I'm here if you want to talk."

"I know," I said, accidentally sounding almost exasperated. "Thanks." I added to make up for it.

She started to leave, but, at the door, sighed and turned back to me. "Jim, I think you need to check on Tabitha."

"I know." This time I meant to sound exasperated. I love Tabitha and cared for her more than anyone in the world, but I really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now. The very thought of having to deal with anymore tears or emotions, on my part or hers, drained the energy right out of me.

"I know that you probably just want to be on your own, but... I'm really worried about her. She hasn't had anything to eat all day. I've tried everything, but I can't get her to utter more than two words together - "

"I'll handle it," I reassured to interrupt her concern. "Is she still in her room?"

She nodded and she once again turned to leave, then stopped again. "Jim?"

I raised my eyebrows questioningly at her.

"I love you."

I smiled. "Love you too, mom."

She smiled one last time as as she shut the door behind her.

I looked around the kitchen, but nothing I found sounded appetizing. I finally settled on the obvious choice of a purp. It didn't seem to have any flavor, nor did it provide any satisfaction. I forced myself to quickly eat it anyway. Then I reluctantly left and meandered back up to Tabitha's room.

"Tabitha?" I knocked lightly on the door. No answer. I slowly opened the door and easily spotted her asleep on the window seat, her head resting against the cold, smooth glass. As I approached her, I saw she was holding a pen and a book; she'd fallen asleep writing in her diary. I took them from her hands carefully and placed them next to her. She may not have eaten, but she also hadn't had much luck sleeping, so instead of waking her up, I carried her over to the bed. She was out like a light, and didn't stir at all.

I closed her diary and placed it on the bedside table. Despite myself, I smiled as I remembered the night I'd accidentally read it, and everything that had come of that. As much as I wanted to know what had been written since then (and I really was intrigued by what she might have said), knowing that she trusted me easily beat my curiosity. Deciding that she was okay, I went back to my room and changed into something to sleep in. I started to get in bed, when I suddenly thought about something. I stared at the bed, then the door, and debated for a second before leaving my room and going back to Tabitha's.

I climbed into bed with her, assuming it was okay; after all, we had shared a bed a few times now. I wanted to be right there if she woke up, just in case she was upset, which seemed fairly likely considering everything she was going through. Besides the fact I was concerned, I just wanted to be with her. It was somehow reassuring to know that she was so close to me.

I stared across at her through the dimly illuminated room. Her slightly puffy eyes were the only thing that gave away any hint of her distress; she looked calm and happy in her sleep. Even now, there was something captivating about her, and for the second time I couldn't help smiling.

* * *

Tabitha awoke the next morning feeling unbearably hot. She groaned as the light from the window shown directly into her eyes and quickly closed them again. Drowsily sitting up on the edge of the bed, she pulled her sweat drenched shirt away from her body and shook it to create a slight breeze. She correlated the heat to the fact she'd fallen asleep fully dressed, so she pulled her socks off and placed her feet on the cold hardwood floor, but that gesture did little to help. Yawning, she made her way over to the closet to find a different shirt other than the thick long-sleeved one she'd been wearing.

Jim woke up when Tabitha shifted off of the bed. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light, he finally gained his awareness and was able to focus on Tabitha pulling a new outfit out of her closet. He was just about to say something when she started to undress... and Jim's mind blanked. He wasn't sure whether to look away or keep his eyes focused on the entrancing sight. What did she want him to do? Was he supposed to turn around? No, if he wasn't supposed to see her, she would have sent him away... unless she didn't know he was there. She did know he was there, right? Of course she knew! They'd been sharing a bed; surely she noticed that someone else was in it. His body was quick to overrule his mind on the "right thing" notion. No, she was doing this on purpose to tantalize him, and, well, frankly, she was rather good at it.

Tabitha grabbed the most lightweight shirt she had from her closet, and, completely unaware that she was not alone, took of the sweaty one she was wearing. It was only by chance that she looked in the mirror and happened to see the reflection of Jim. She turned around and reflexively grabbed the shirt to cover herself with as several thoughts rushed through her head. Why was he in her bed? Had he been here the whole time? Had she asked him to stay last night? She couldn't remember seeing him after yesterday afternoon, but maybe she'd just been so tired that she'd forgotten.

The two gawked at each other for a moment, each trying to figure out what the other was doing.

"What are you doing?" he asked teasingly.

"Ch-changing clothes," Tabitha stuttered in embarrassment. "What are _you_ doing?"

"Enjoying the view," he smirked.

Tabitha started; he was never that forward with her. It was kind of intriguing, but at the same time she was perplexed. "...Oh?" she questioned vaguely.

"Mm-hmm," he said as he walked over to her. She was about to question him but before she could formulate a thought, he had wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her... rather enthusiastically. Tabitha froze, completely thrown off by his actions. Jim must have noticed her confusion because he broke off. "You aren't kissing me back," he kid playfully.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Tabitha asked, trying to get a handle on the situation.

Jim was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

She didn't even know where to begin. "When did you come in here?"

"Last night," he stated as if he were pointing out the obvious.

Tabitha was first to figure out what was going on: Jim had slept with her last night, and when she started to change, he assumed she knew he was there and was doing it on purpose, when in actuality, she had simply not noticed him in her sleepy state. She couldn't force back the blush that arose as she tried to stammer out a statement.

Jim quickly sensed her tension and noticed her red cheeks, and realization dawned on him too. He released her and backed off a little. "You didn't know I was here."

She shook her head. Now that she knew what was going on, she actually didn't think it was that big of a deal. She'd been wearing undergarments, for goodness sakes, so it wasn't like she was _completely_ indecent. It was his fervor that had really startled her, but she was okay with it now that she understood where it was coming from. More than okay with it, actually. She would gladly return his enthusiasm... after she got to mess with him first.

It was Jim's turn to blush now. "I'm sorry! I was worried about you last night, so I came to sleep in here... I-I thought you noticed, and you w-were just messing around."

Tabitha held back a laugh; he was adorable when he was flustered. She considered reassuring him that she wasn't upset, but decided to keep up the act.

"Why... why would you..." she feigned shock.

"I'm sorry!" he pleaded. "I-I thought you knew I was here or I never would have watched you!"

Tabitha bit her lip and leaned her head down to hide a snicker. Jim mistook her gesture and continued to apologize. "Please don't be mad. I'm so sorry. You know I wouldn't do that to you on purpose."

She raised her head, still biting her lip, and "nervously" whispered, "How much did you see?"

Jim rubbed his neck as he tried to figure out how to be honest and reassuring to her at the same time. "Just, I mean, I... I saw your reflection in the mirror..." he was blushing redder by the second. "So I saw... well, you know, b-but I- "

By this point, Tabitha could no longer contain herself and started to giggle. Jim's eyes widened, then he gawked at her in mock anger. "You... you did know I was here!"

"No, actually I didn't," Tabitha continued to laugh. "I just figured out what was going on before you."

"You scared me," he sighed thankfully.

"Sorry, but it's so fun to tease you."

"Why?" he laughed.

"Because I think it's really adorable when you blush," she smiled up at him, then laughed. "What on Montressor was going through your head?"

He looked down bashfully. "Well, I... we've been going out for a while, but I've never seen you... er, I mean, you've never changed in front of me or anything, so I thought, if you knew I was here, that you were doing it on purpose to try and..."

"What?" she smirked at his unfinished explanation. "Seduce you?"

"Something like that..." he laughed nervously, not meeting her eyes.

"Did it work?" she questioned coyly.

Jim's eyes widened as he looked back up at her. He wavered somewhere between embarrassment and roguishness before finally deciding on the latter.

"You tell me," he said slyly as he kissed her.

Tabitha had been waiting for him to do so and was quick to act. Jim had expected the kiss to throw her off, but was pleasantly surprised when she rose to the challenge and held her own. His goal was to catch her off guard like she had done to him, but, try as he might, none of his attempts worked; she always managed to stay one step ahead of him. No matter what Jim did, she was able to do the same thing back to him, except better, until once again he was the one shocked by the turns the situation was taking. Finally, an idea he was sure would knock her down a level, back to an even playing field, struck him. He realized that the shirt she'd been planning to change into was caught between the two of them. Grinning mischievously as he continued to kiss her, he pulled it away and waited for Tabitha to give into his taunting, squeal girlishly and insist he give it back. Once again, he was stunned when her response was to try and rob him of his own shirt.

"Tabitha!" he said breathlessly as he pulled away and let her take of his shirt.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"What is with you?" he asked in a tone nothing short of amazement. "I've never seen you so... eager."

She laughed at the vocabulary choice. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No, not at all! I just... wasn't expecting this."

She shrugged. "Expect the unexpected."

"Alright," Jim was surprised by her bluntness, but laughed as he pulled her close again. "You sure you're okay with this?"

"_Yes_." She sounded sure, but then a doubt crossed her mind, so she added on, "_Just_ this," to clarify this was all she wanted, nothing more.

Jim nodded in agreement and kissed her again, this time knowing what to expect. It was no longer a playful game, it was an unforeseen moment of passion. Tabitha had no idea what had come over her, but all she knew was that she wanted this, to be as close as possible to him. She ran her hands through his hair, over his chest... completely enraptured. Jim, despite his initial shock, was all for it as well. He tried his best to walk the fine line between their current state and taking it one step too far, but, stars above, he just couldn't keep his hands off of her. For some reason, this kiss was different than any other they'd ever shared, and neither had any idea why. Every sense was heightened as their heart, body, and mind were simultaneously stimulated to their peak. They couldn't focus on anything except being closer, more intimate...

Several minutes into it, Jim lifted Tabitha off the ground, but resisted the thought to carry her to the bed. Just this - that was all she wanted; the bed would be a step too far. It was the moment that she wrapped her legs around him that he realized, as good as this felt and as much as he craved it, this couldn't go on much longer. Tabitha seemed blissfully unaware of his desperate attempt to resist his more carnal instincts. He sat her on the top of the vanity desk so that they would remain at eye level, but at least she would be able to put her legs down so that he didn't keep having to let id and super-ego battle out what the right choice was.

"Tabitha - " he breathed.

But Tabitha was just as captivated as he was and immediately pulled him back to her. She didn't want to stop, not yet. She had no idea the internal struggle she'd sparked inside of Jim.

"We need to - " he attempted, but once again his lips were enveloped by hers. For half a second, Jim almost gave in, thinking he could keep going until Tabitha said it was too far, but no, he wouldn't do that. She had said that this was all she wanted, and he would acquiesce to that request; he would have to - he wasn't going to be able to keep doing _just_ this. He was first and foremost a gentleman, and he wasn't going to push her.

"Tabitha, really... " he pleaded more urgently. She finally relented upon hearing the strained tone of his voice and stopped kissing him, but kept her arms and legs wrapped around him still.

He took a deep breath and she observed his stiff stature in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," he assured tensely. "Just... can you move your legs?"

"Oh!" she gasped as she released him.

He breathed a sigh of relief and focused his gaze on the floor for a moment to compose himself. He'd never come so close to getting carried away with her like that, and he was almost frightened that it was a even a possibility. He was supposed to be in control of himself, and the situation, and he'd almost lost that.

"Jim?" she said quietly as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're really good at that," he commented as he looked back up. He was still breathing heavily, but he was also smiling. "Maybe a little too good."

"Oh," she whispered, completely floored that she'd had this kind of impact on him. She once again moved her hand away from him. "I didn't realize - "

"It's okay," he laughed and finally eased back closer to her. "You just got me kind of worried for a second there." She opened her mouth but he put a finger to her lips. "Don't apologize, just give me a second..."

She nodded understandingly. He sighed gratefully, glad that she was not upset with his reaction nor made uncomfortable by his confession - his embarrassment was enough for them both. Foreheads together, eyes closed, fingers laced, they sat there trying to calm their rapid pulse and swirling pool of thoughts.

"I love you," Tabitha simply stated after a while.

"I love you, too," Jim agreed, not moving from their restful position. "You are so amazing."

"I hope you mean in general and not just about this," she added lightheartedly as she pulled back.

"You're amazing at everything... except dancing," he laughed. "And playing the guitar... and solar surfing... "

"Okay, I think you've made your point!" she smiled as she pulled on the shirt that had started all of this.

Jim pulled on his own shirt, then picked her up again and spun her around a few times before finally placing her back on the ground.

She grinned and grabbed his hand. "Come on! I'm starving!"

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

That rush of joy that I'd savored this morning had not lasted long. It was like as soon as we'd left the room, we were headed to hell in a hand basket.

The issue of Silver and our ship was almost instantly brought back to our attention, and I was back to feeling how I'd felt the day before - depressed and physically sick. I took a little comfort in knowing that at least I'd told Jim about the dreams (luckily, he hadn't thought I was insane) and anything else so that we were now on the same page, but I was so upset. Thankfully, I managed not to bawl my eyes out like I had the day before, but the very thought of the fact that Silver was gone was enough to push me to the edge of tears.

To top it all off, our friends arrived fairly late in the afternoon and we'd had to relay the whole story yet again, then answer all their questions. They were all the same as ours - why would he just leave? Why'd he take your ship? So on and so forth... - so we really had no answers for them. After a good hour of explanations, the room was finally quiet as they all absorbed the information. I looked at the expressions on their faces - shock, confusion, sadness, disappointment - but stopped on Rylee. She was leaned casually against Cason and didn't seemed to be phased by the story at all.

"What do you think about all this?" I asked her accusingly.

She looked at me, then sighed apologetically. "Look, Tabitha, I know he was like your father and stuff, and he seemed like a really nice guy, but... he was a pirate, and we knew that."

"What are you saying?" Graham, who'd been facing the other direction, turned on her.

"I'm just saying that I don't think we should be that surprised that a pirate stole your ship."

"He wasn't a pirate!" August jumped in. "He used to be, but he was a good guy. He saved Tabitha and Jim's life, and - "

"But how many people do you think he killed before that?" Cason defended on behalf of Rylee. "We can't base everything on that one fact. They hadn't seen him in three years! Who knows what kind of stuff he was doing during that time!"

"So you think that people can't change?" Theodore questioned.

"I'm just saying that it sounded like a bad idea from the beginning, so I'm really not surprised."

Graham angrily stood up and walked away from the table. Jim and I sat silently beside each other; we'd known to expect something like this. They'd been wary of trusting him since the beginning and now it seemed like they'd been right; we couldn't really blame them for being upset.

"I see what you're saying," Landon told Cason and Rylee, much to the surprise of Graham, August, and Theodore, who all gawked and started to interrupt with complaints before Landon stuck out a hand to stop them. "But I think Jim and Tabitha have the right idea. Maybe we shouldn't have trusted him, maybe this is just a misunderstanding, but no matter what you think, we're missing something vital. There's no point in arguing if we don't have the facts."

Everyone shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to admit that he was right.

"So... what now?" Landon asked Jim and me. "Are we still going?"

A chorus of answers rang out from all our friends until Jim raised his voice over them. "We're going."

_We are?!_

"We are?" Rylee asked.

"Jim, don't you think - " Cason began.

"But we're only going to Lacuna to talk to Charlotte."

"What?!" Graham complained.

"No!" Theodore whined.

"We can rent a different ship or something and - " August began.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" I finally shouted. Everyone stared at me, but they also shut up. "Listen, we're not going after the treasure because I don't want to go after the treasure. Silver had some reason he didn't want me to go, and I trust his judgment. If you want to think that he's just a pirate and choose not to trust him, fine, I can't change your mind. But all I really want, all I ever really wanted, out of this trip was to learn about my parents and my family."

"But Tabitha - " Rylee complained.

"No, Rylee! Screw the treasure! It isn't worth all of this! We've already lost Silver because of it, and now you guys are all fighting... and - "

_Damn it, not again._ Just when I thought I was in the clear, the tears came back, this time in front of a crowd of people. _I don't want to cry in front of all of my friends! No, just wait! Just wait until you can get away._

"Look, that's what we're doing," Jim spoke up for me. "I know it's not the exciting adventure we originally planned, but it's a ticket out of here. Since we're without transportation, you'll have to pay your own way. If you don't want to come, we understand, but it's your decision - take it or leave it."

My tears under control for the time being, I looked up to find everyone looking around at each other waiting for someone else to speak up first. "Well?" I asked impatiently.

Landon sighed. "Correct me if I'm wrong here - " he said to everyone " - but I think we're all still going. Like you said, it's still a ticket out of here, and it's not as if we've got anything better to do."

"Yeah, it's either this or a real job," Cason added humorously.

Everyone smiled a little as the tension eased slightly. I sighed. "I really am sorry you guys."

Rylee walked over to me. "No, it's okay. If you think that trusting Silver is the right thing, and you don't want to go because he didn't want you to go, then okay. I can't say I agree completely, but I respect that."

Everyone else murmured their agreement and I smiled gratefully at them. "Thanks."

* * *

After helping Jim's mom with dinner and eating some themselves, the teens that had just arrived back in Montressor were exhausted from their journey's and headed straight to dinner. Tabitha helped B.E.N. and Mrs. Hawkins (and Morph, if you could call his little antics "help") clean up, all the while reassuring them that she was sure this was the right thing to do, and that she really would be okay... basically, she spent the entire night lying to them.

She wasn't sure this was the right thing to do, and she didn't have a clue when, or if, she'd be okay. She hadn't talked to Jim since Silver left about the trip itself; Jim's announcement that they were going was just as much of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else - she'd actually been planning to tell him she didn't want to go anymore. She couldn't very well take it back after already having to take back the promise of a treasure hunt... but that didn't mean she was confident about Jim's decision.

Even in the new, improved, and rather large Benbow, it wasn't hard to find Jim. Tabitha knocked lightly on the half-open door of the storage shed out back.

"Hmm?" Jim questioned, not looking up from what he was working on.

"It's me," Tabitha answered as she stepped inside.

"Hey," he glanced up at her and smiled, but then returned to fixing the sail on his solar surfer.

Tabitha winced. "Sorry about that."

"What? Oh, don't worry. It's an easy fix."

"Right." Tabitha sat down on the edge of the workbench and picked up the new sheet of solar cells and fiddled with it absentmindedly.

"What are you doing out here?" Jim questioned as he finished detaching the sail from the board.

"Oh, nothing, I just wanted to talk to you," she said casually whilst she tried to figure out how to start the conversation.

"About something?" Jim asked distractedly as he laid the sail flat out on the work bench.

"Yeah, the trip."

"Okay, go ahead, I'm listening."

Tabitha knew she didn't have his full attention, but maybe that was for the better. "Are you sure we can do this?"

"Sure. It'll be easy," he assured her as he took the sheet of solar cells from her hands. "We just pay a small fee and we're on the next ship out to Lacuna, no problem."

Tabitha didn't respond to this. She'd never thought that was going to be a problem.

"Was that all?" Jim looked back up at her curiously.

"Ah, no..." she explained.

Jim didn't say anything; he was focused on measuring the tear of the sail.

"Jim, I don't want to go."

Jim froze and slowly turned to look at her. "What?"

"I-I don't want to," she repeated, looking down at her hands.

Jim put the ruler down and turned his full attention to her. "Why not?"

"Because..." she sighed, reluctant to explain her reason. "It just doesn't feel right."

"Doesn't feel right?"

"I thought it was going to be the first voyage on our boat, and all our friends would be there, and Silver, and it would be fun..." she jumped off the table. She walked over to the doorway and looked up at the sky. "Now it seems like it's turning into a chore for everyone. No one wants to go anymore. No one wants to pay money to travel on some random ship to a tiny planet just so I can find out about my parents."

"Tabitha, that's not true. I still want to go, and so do all our friends. If they didn't want to, they would have argued about it, which they didn't."

Tabitha sighed. "Still..."

Jim walked over to her and grabbed her arm. "Hey, look at me," he told her, and she reluctantly turned to him. "You have every right to go to Lacuna and find out about your parents if you want to. Don't worry about anyone else! No one's being forced to go."

"It just doesn't even seem worth it anymore," Tabitha sighed. "I don't want to lose anything else."

"You aren't going to lose anything else."

She shook her head, not believing his assurances. A tear slid down her cheek, and then another. Jim wiped them away with his thumbs and embraced her just as she broke down completely.

"It's okay. Shh..." he whispered. "What's wrong? Please tell me..."

"I'm just scared," she sobbed.

"Don't be," he told her. "I'll be there to make sure nothing bad happens."

"But what if something bad happens to you?" she whispered. "What if I lose you?"

"Lose me? Tabitha..." Jim began, unsure of exactly how to console her. "You'll never lose me."

"You can't promise that," she countered as she pulled back to look up at him.

"I can, and I did," he said forcefully. "I will always be there for you."

She shook her head in denial and leaned against him once again.

"What is this really about?" Jim questioned, realizing that there was more than meets the eye in her current situation. "Please just talk to me."

"I don't want to lose you," she cried.

"You aren't going to - "

"No!" she shouted, pushing away from him. "You don't know that! I lose everyone I love..."

Jim started at her sudden statement. "What?"

"My mom, my dad, now Silver..." she choked. "You're the only one I have left."

Jim stood gaping at her until her tears returned and he was once again at her side. "That's what's been bothering you? You were worried about losing me?" Jim took her lack of an answer as a yes. "Tabitha, that isn't... I know it kind of seems like that, but it isn't, and you know that. I'm never going to leave. It isn't even a possibility. I will always, _always_, be there." She couldn't stop her tears, so he continued. "Listen, if you really don't want to go, we won't, but I thought this was what you wanted, and if the only reason is because you're worried about losing something, or someone, else... then I really think you should reconsider."

"No, no, you're right," she agreed, wiping her eyes as she calmed down. "I do want this, and I know it's really not like that, but... it sometimes seems that way, and I-I don't know what I would do without you."

He kissed her forehead and smiled. "And you'll never need to know."

* * *

The trip to the spaceport the following morning was peculiar to say the least. All of the teens had accepted that they wanted to go on this journey, but their was still an awkward tension over them about the fact that it was not what they had originally envisioned.

At the very least though, it was a beautiful day, so there were lots of people at the spaceport, which meant a better chance of them finding a passenger ship they could travel on. Jim left the group to go find out what ships were planned to set sail, leaving the rest of them standing in the middle of the spaceport observing the sights.

"I miss our ship," Tabitha sighed.

"We all miss your ship," Landon added absentmindedly.

"Hey, it'll be fine," Graham smiled, trying to lighten the tension. "Amelia's working on getting a warrant out for your ship, so it's bound to turn up soon. In the mean time, we'll just have to make do - no big deal!"

"No big deal!" Morph repeated as he flew out of Tabitha's backpack.

Theodore was looking at something off in the distance. "Is there a reward being offered for the finding of your ship?"

"I don't think so. Why?"

August followed his brother line of sight and chuckled. "Because it would be nice to have some extra money."

"What are you - " Tabitha began, but then she saw it too.

Their ship. Just sitting at one of the docks, as if it was meant to be there.

Cason's draw dropped. "Holy sh - "

"Okay," Jim said as he walked back up to them. "We don't have much to choose from, but the one in Dock 47 seems like the best choice. It's got - "

"I'd rather take your ship," Graham smiled.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we'd all rather take our ship, but that's not really an option."

"Yes, it is," Rylee laughed.

Jim was about to speak up when everybody else pointed down the row of boats to one near the very end. Jim's eyes doubled in size.

"What the..."

"What the..." Morph mimicked Jim's stunned facial expression.

Tabitha laughed. "Well? Come on!"

The group raced off, dodging carts of exotic fruits and vegetables and creatures carrying crates, and finally skidding to a halt right in front of the boat.

"It is ours, isn't it?" Tabitha panted.

"Yeah, it's got to be. It doesn't have a name," Jim pointed out.

"Hell yeah, let's go!" Cason cheered as they started to run up the plank.

"Excuse me!"

They all froze and slowly turned around to see a man in a royal blue jacket. He was standing rigidly and observing them in a condescending fashion.

"Yes?" Tabitha questioned rudely.

He scoffed at her tone. "What do you little urchins think you're doing aboard my ship?"

"Your ship?!" They all shouted in unison. Even Morph said it with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, _my_ ship," he emphasized. "I'll give you a chance to come peacefully, but if you're not down in one minute, I'm calling the authorities."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Jim began as he walked back down towards the man. "There's just been some kind of misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding, indeed," he repeated.

"No, really," Tabitha joined in. "That's _our_ ship."

For the first time the older man looked taken aback. "Your ship?"

The teens all nodded enthusiastically.

"Prove it."

"Well I... can't," Jim said lamely. "See, it was stolen, and all the paperwork was on board, so - "

"Well then I guess your out of luck, aren't you?" the man said smugly as he started to walk off.

"Wait!" Jim shouted rushing back to him. "Where did you get this ship?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Where did you get it? Did you buy it from someone?"

The man straightened his jacket. "No. If you must know, I'm only keeping watch over it for a friend."

"A friend?" Tabitha repeated.

"Yes, child, a friend," the man said as if he were talking to a 5 year old.

Tabitha set her jaw, but didn't complain. "What's his name?"

"I really don't believe that's of any concern to you," the blue-coated man said pointedly, looking down on all of them. "Now, if you'll excuse me - "

"Was it Silver?" Jim asked abruptly.

The man squinted questioningly at Jim. "How do you know that name, son?" Jim stared at the man determinedly, but didn't answer. The man sighed. "Yes, that's who I'm watching it for. I'm supposed to help some amateur sailors out on - "

"That's us!" They all once again said in unison.

"You?" the man observed them skeptically. "No, no. Silver said that they were all graduates of the academy - "

"We are!"

"Then where are your uniforms?"

They all hastily pulled them out of their bags and pulled them on as proof. The stranger gaped at them, then smiled. "Well, well... I guess you are who I'm waiting for. So that means that..." he observed them all, then stopped on Tabitha. "You must be Tabitha."

"Yes, sir," she said.

"Ah, I see you do have some manners after all," he chided. "Silver bragged a great deal about his daughter. A doctor, Valedictorian of the Interstellar Academy for Medicine..."

"Daughter?" Rylee and Graham both repeated. Luckily, the man didn't notice.

Tabitha didn't know why Silver would say she was his daughter, but she decided to go along with it. "Yes, well... he is a great father."

The man chuckled. "I suppose he would be. Now then, if you are Tabitha, then that must mean this young man is James Hawkins, the boy who found Treasure Planet!"

"Yes sir, but it's Jim," Jim said curtly. "And I wasn't the only person to find Treasure Planet. I had help."

"That's not the way Silver explained it," the man laughed. "He made you out to be the hero who saved the day!"

"Well then I think he must have exaggerated a bit, sir."

"Knowing Silver, he probably did."

"Excuse me?" Cason spoke up. "Who are _you_?"

"Well, I'm guessing by your insolent tone that you must be Cason," the man said, not answering his question. "Which would mean that you, my dear, are Rylee."

The couple nodded.

"...and you two must be Theodore and August," he said to the twins.

"Yes sir, and we're twins in case you couldn't tell," August joked.

The man laughed. "And that means you must be August, because you spoke up before your brother. He told me Theodore was the quieter one."

Theodore nodded silently.

"So that leaves... Landon and Graham."

"Yes, that's us," Landon said. "You still have not told us who you are."

"So you're Landon then?"

"Well, yes," Landon mumbled. "How'd you know."

"You've got that take charge attitude," the man said admiringly.

"Well, you guessed us all," Graham interrupted. "And sorry if we're starting to sound repetitive, but who are you?"

"Anthony!" Morph answered, flying up in the man's face.

"Morph!" the man said cheerily. "Well, I haven't seen you in quite some time!"

"Anthony! Anthony!" he continued to squeal as he nuzzled the man's face.

"Well, guess Morph's done the introduction for me," Anthony chuckled. "I'm Anthony Aldamae, but you all can call me Captain."

"Captain?" Tabitha questioned.

"Captain!" Morph saluted.

"Excuse me, _sir_," Jim emphasized, refusing to call him by his title. "But I'm the Captain."

"Yes, I believe you would be, if I were not your superior," Anthony explained.

"But - "

"Hawkins, what color jacket are you wearing?"

Jim sighed. "White."

"And what color jacket am I wearing?"

"Blue."

"Smart lad," Anthony replied. "Now, I'm sure that if you made it all the way through the academy, then you will know that a white jacket represents a captain, while blue represents a commodore."

"Yes, I know, but - "

"Silver warned me you wouldn't accept this easily. He was right, you are quite thick-headed," Anthony laughed. "Sorry to disappoint son, but I outrank you and therefore will be serving as captain on this voyage, if you still choose to go on it. Is that clear?"

Jim looked ready to hit the man. "Yes, _captain_."

"Very well," Anthony said, eying Jim suspiciously. "Now, come along."

Their new captain walked off leaving them standing their completely baffled.

"What the bloody hell?" Cason said.

"It's like being back at the academy," Landon added.

"You know, me and Tabitha both have royal blue jackets too. Are we allowed to just claim we are the captain?" Rylee sounded annoyed.

"Well, no, not exactly. See, your jackets are just the blue uniform coats from the academy. His is real. He's got the trimming and - " Rylee looked at August like he was the stupidest person in the Etherium. "Oh... you were being sarcastic."

"It's your ship! Is he even allowed to do that?" Graham complained.

"I don't know, but it won't do any good to argue," Jim interrupted. "Look, we can either get on board our ship and let him play the part of captain, or go back to our original plan."

"Silver said in the note we should trust him..." Tabitha began.

"I do trust him. It's this guy I don't trust," August replied.

"Hang on..." Jim stopped them. He turned back around and shouted back to Anthony. "Captain?"

Anthony once again turned to face him. "Yes?"

"We want more proof," he stated. "Prove that Silver sent you to go with us."

"Your names and personalities weren't enough?" he asked skeptically.

"Forgive us, sir, but we've had a lot of problems trusting people lately," Tabitha explained.

"Very well," Anthony sighed. "Your full name is Tabitha Renee Alexander. Jim's full name is James Pleiades Hawkins. Tabitha's parents' names were Melody and Sam, but they died when you were a child. Silver saved you from being attacked in an alley when you were ten. Jim's mother owns the Benbow Inn, which burned down a few years ago, but has since been rebuilt. Your father left when you were a ten. You've been dating since you met on the _Legacy_. You are both 18 years old. And, if that isn't enough proof - " he motioned Jim closer.

It was more than enough, but still Jim was interested in what else he could possibly say. He approached him and the man leaned forward and whispered, "You're planning on proposing to Tabitha sometime in the near future."

Jim gaped at him; the only people who knew that were Silver and Graham. He turned back to his friends and nodded.

They all looked confused but before they had any time to question what he had just said, Anthony was ordering them onto the ship.

"Alright, then let's go! We're burning daylight!"

Tabitha looked at Jim quizzically. He shook his head, hoping that Tabitha wouldn't question it further.

Apparently, the pace they were walking at wasn't fast enough, because Anthony decided to shout at them some more. "What part of 'let's go' did the lot of you not understand?"

Tabitha shot Jim an annoyed glance. "It just keeps getting better, doesn't it?"

* * *

**A new OC? You betcha. Meet Commodore Aldamae.**

**A few quick things:**

**No, Tabitha and Jim are not just amorous teens (they are in love, and they've been going out for a while, so what do you expect?). I'm trying to balance adventure/suspense/romance/etc., and that escapade is relevant to a future part of the story :)**

**I was wondering if anyone out there would like to draw some art for this story? I can't draw my way out of a paper bag, so I'd love to see what you guys can come up with. We can call it a belated Christmas present or... what holiday's next? Martin Luther King Day? It can be a Martin Luther King Day present XD**

**Also, if you would like to see something in the story, feel free to leave a comment. I'm not making any promises - I may decide not to use any of the suggestions (no offense) - but I'd like to know what you guys want to see!**

**Hope you liked it! Comments are always really awesome, by the way.  
-Emily**


	27. That's Amore

***sigh* Sorry it's been a while. School just started back so I've been kind of focused on that. But here you go!**

**It seems the romance bit from the last chapter went over well, which is good because, to be quite honest, I wasn't exactly sure what I was talking about. I don't have a lot of experience in that department... and by a lot I mean any... er, so um, yeah, *pulls collar nervously*... I'm glad it didn't sound completely idiotic.**

**-Responses to Comments-**

**anon: Wow, I think that's the longest comment I've ever seen from you! I'm glad you liked the romantic bits :D Oh, and I've taken your ideas into consideration, so you may see them at some point later on in the story.  
NeverTooLate03: I'm so glad you still like it!  
23jk: Your wait is over, my friend! Read on!  
SweetAngel183: Wow, I'm glad it got you so... intrigued XD  
**

**Your comments mean the world to me! Thank you so much everyone who reviews, and those of you who simply read - I appreciate you too!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

The day had passed with me remaining in slight shock; I couldn't believe that we had our ship back, completely out of the blue like that. In fact, I'd been so excited by that fact, plus slightly distracted by the duties and chores I'd been assigned, that I didn't realize how quickly we'd jumped the gun with this Commodore guy, not until it was brought to my attention at dinner.

Tabitha passed out bowls of some kind of soup she'd managed to throw together, with the help of Morph. Everyone sat eating silently, too hungry to concentrate on conversation, until Landon finally took advantage of the fact that the commodore was at the helm, leaving all of us alone in the galley.

"Alright, what do we think of Commodore Aldamae?"

"What do you mean?" Rylee asked.

"Do we trust him?"

"If we trust Silver, then we trust him," August shrugged.

"But do we trust Silver? I'm still a little fuzzy in that area," Theodore added.

"I think we all do now," Graham explained. "The only reason we had doubts was because he took the ship, but we have that back now."

"Yeah, but he gave it to the commodore, not Jim and Tabitha," Cason rebutted.

"Yes, but because Silver thought we didn't want him to come, he hired the commodore to look after us instead. He still cares, so we should still trust him," Tabitha concluded.

Cason shrugged, but didn't argue the point.

"What I want to know is how Silver even hired this commodore guy in the first place," Graham continued. "Did they know each other or something?"

"Yeah, and how much does he know about the fortune and this voyage and everything?" Rylee added.

"Good question," Landon nodded. "If there's anything that Silver didn't trust him enough to tell him, then we'd probably be better off not telling him either."

Everyone gave small nods of agreement, then turned to look at me. I'd stayed silent through the debate, listening to their points rather than voicing my own. I sighed inwardly in relief when it began to seem like we were all on the same page, we just had some questions. "I'll go talk to him."

"I want to come, too," Tabitha said, standing up from her spot at the table.

"No, I need to do this on my own." She didn't appear to accept this, so I explained, "If I'm ever going to get him to respect me as a captain, then I need to act like a captain. It will look more professional if I go alone."

Tabitha sighed, but didn't voice any complaints. "Will you please ask him if he knows anything about Silver? What's happened to him?"

"Of course," I said, squeezing her hand comfortingly.

She gave a small smile and went to finish eating. When she got there though, she found an empty bowl with an extremely bloated blob relaxing in it.

"Morph! You ate my dinner!" she accused.

Morph just giggled and flew over to join me on my talk with the "captain". Even though he was clearly meant to be ranked above me, I couldn't bring myself to just hand over the position willingly. _Why couldn't he just let me be captain?_ I was going to be holding a grudge for that for a while. _The next time I see Silver, we're going to have to talk about this._

The captain was at the wheel, staring off somewhat dreamily. When he spotted me, he blinked a few times then smiled. "Hello, Mr. Hawkins. What brings you here? I believe the twins have the watch tonight."

"No, they do. I just wanted to talk." I walked up to where he was and had to resist the urge to lean against the edge of the ship. _I needed to look professional, mature, not like some slacker teenager._

"About something in particular?"

"I just wanted to... ask you some things," I explained in a carefree tone, not wanting to sound accusatory.

Morph flew over to him, and he smiled at the shape-shifter and tickled him. "Well, I'm all ears."

"Well, I - actually, all of us - were wondering how you knew Silver," I began. "How did you end up here on his behalf anyway?"

Commodore Aldamae chuckled. "Silver and I go back a ways... well before you were even born. When Silver was about your age, we were on the same crew."

"Me! Me! Me!" Morph cheered happily.

"Yes, Morph, that was the trip we found you on," the commodore laughed at the blob before turning back to Jim. "I was the cook, and Silver was the cabin boy I was put in charge of. As I understand it, your relationship with Silver began much the same way."

"Yeah - er, yes sir," I corrected when he glared sternly at me. "Um, how'd he end up picking you to go with us?"

"His explanation for choosing me to ask for help was that I had more experience than anyone he knew as far as sailing, and you, as young spacers, would need all the help you could get. That, and I was the only person he could think of that might have a chance of intimidating Ivan."

"You know Ivan?"

"No, and from what I've heard, I'm glad," he said fiercely, then his tone changed to something more contemplative. "It was odd, really. I hadn't seen Silver in years, so imagine my surprise when he came traipsing into my office in the dead of night, asking me for help."

"What did he say he needed help with?" I tried to walk around the blatant question of 'how much do you know?'

"To start, he told me about his relationship with both Tabitha and you, from saving her in the alley, to the voyage where he met you. As you learned earlier, he told me about your friends as well. Then, he explained to me about Ivan and that he wanted you all to have protection, so he asked me to come along with you," he explained. "That's why I had your ship, by the way. I was supposed to pick you up at your mother's inn and explain everything to you there, which was why I was quite surprised when you all showed up at the spaceport."

"Oh, yeah, we were just going to find another way to get there..." I said absentmindedly. He had only half answered my questions, but I didn't know how to continue without it becoming clear I was skeptical. Luckily - actually, maybe it was unlucky - he figured out what I was thinking.

"You don't know whether you can trust me or not, do you? You're trying to figure out how much I know," he said, eying me questioningly. I tried to stammer an answer, but I couldn't come up with anything. He chuckled. "Don't fret - I understand, and you have no need to worry. Silver has fully informed me of everything about this voyage - Ivan, Charlotte, the Reddend Fortune - "

"Actually, the fortune isn't really that important anymore," I interrupted. He glared at me, half curious at my comment and half irritated that I had interrupted him. "We aren't going after the fortune."

He stood there looking uncharacteristically dumbfounded. "Then what, may I ask, are we doing? I was informed we were going to Lacuna to speak to Charlotte - "

"We are," I accidentally interrupted once again, earning another serious glare. "Er, sorry... We are going to Lacuna, and we are going to speak to Charlotte, but only because Tabitha wants to find out about her family. We're not going after the fortune."

"Why not, may I ask?"

"Well, when Silver told us about how Ivan was plotting against us, and how much he didn't want us to go, Tabitha and I decided that we would only go to Lacuna."

The commodore stood there looking confused for a minute until I chuckled a little. "You don't know why you're here anymore, do you? You're trying to figure out why Silver still asked you to come." I knew it was a bit sarcastic, but I was testing the waters.

Thankfully, he chuckled. "Alright, Mr. Hawkins. Would you care to explain?"

"We didn't have the chance to tell Silver we'd changed our plans before he left."

"Ah," Commodore Aldamae nodded slowly. "Then I suppose it actually isn't necessary for me to be here, is it?"

"I guess not," I shrugged, while actually I wanted to scream, _No, it isn't. Could you please give me my job back now? _"We could drop you off at the next port, if you like."

"No, I couldn't do that," he shook his head.

_Of course you couldn't_.

"I still made a promise to Silver that I would look out for Tabitha, and you, so I think it best if I stay. Besides, the trip is fairly short as it is. I think I can wait the few days it will take to get to Lacuna."

_There went that plan._ I didn't even realize that I'd rolled my eyes until he called me out on it.

"You aren't very accepting of me as captain, are you?"

I looked up at him. He was once again glaring at me. "I... respect that your rank is superior to mine, but I... was supposed to be captain... " I dwindled off lamely.

"It's perfectly fine, Hawkins. I understand how you feel, and you seem perfectly capable of handling the job." He smiled, and I smiled back up at him, half expecting there to be good news to follow. Instead, I was once again let down. "But I will still be serving as your captain for the remainder of the voyage, and I expect you to respect my authority. Is that clear?"

It took all my effort not to sigh impatiently, but I'm sure my disappointment was evident. "Yes, _sir_," I emphasized bitterly.

"Er, we're here to take over the watch," August interrupted hesitantly, sensing the tension.

"Ah, very good," he nodded in approval and turned to me as he stepped away from the wheel. "Have I answered all your questions?"

"Uh, one more: Do you know what happened to Silver? After he spoke to you?"

"Can't say I do," Commodore Aldamae shook his head regretfully.

I nodded quietly, then together we walked down to the deck, where I found Tabitha waiting, looking upset.

She noticed my worried glance right off. "I just heard his answer."

I was disappointed too - I also wanted to know what had become of Silver - but I tried to smile reassuringly anyway. "Come on. Let's just go to bed."

With the commodore close behind, we walked down to where our bedrooms are. Commodore Aldamae, as well as stealing my title, had also stolen the captain's quarters, so I had been bumped down to one of the smaller bedrooms. I'd been pretty unhappy with this change, until I remembered that Tabitha would be staying with me. With that thought in mind, I couldn't help but smile; add the memory of yesterday into it, and my heart was sent into a frenzy. Not that I expected that to happen, or that I was even sure I wanted it too - I was still kind of concerned about how close I'd come to going to far - but it was still exciting to think that anything was possible.

Grinning like the amorous adolescent boy I was, I opened the door to my - our - bedroom and stepped aside to let Tabitha enter. "Ladies first."

She paused, clearly realizing I was up to something, looked me up and down once, then smiled a small grin of her own before stepping through the doorway.

Commodore Aldamae, upon seeing this, began spluttering in objection. "I-I say, Tabitha!"

She turned back around to face him. "Yes?" she questioned innocently.

"Are you... _staying_ with Jim?" he suggested.

Tabitha straightened defensively. "Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

The commodore frowned. "That's hardly proper of a young, _unwed_ lady."

"Whoever said I was a proper?" she smirked as she once again started to enter the room. I began to follow, but we were once again interrupted.

"Miss Alexander!"

"Oh, boy..." I muttered. Formalities were never a good sign...

Tabitha stopped dead in her tracks and once again turned to face the commodore. She said nothing, only raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I don't believe I can allow you to do that," he said strictly once he'd regained his composure from the initial shock.

"Allow me?" she repeated. "You don't have to 'allow' me. I'm an adult. I can sleep with whomever I wish."

"No."

Tabitha's jaw fell as did mine. _First he steals my job, then my room, and now my girl? Why don't you go ahead and take our ship while your at it? Oh, wait...  
_

"Excuse me?" she said angrily as she stepped closer to him. "Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do? I don't even know you, and it's only - "

"I would think a graduate of the academy would know better than to talk to her superiors that way," he said sternly as he stared down at her. "Silver asked me to watch out for and protect you, and I - "

"Protect me? Jim's not going to hurt me!" she shouted. I opened my mouth to silence her, but decided against it. While I did want to win over the commodore, I was completely on Tabitha's side on this one.

"It's your reputation I'm worried about," Commodore Aldamae replied, still not raising his voice.

"Well then you don't have any reason to worry. Jim and I aren't having sex," she said bluntly.

I felt my cheeks heat up, but Tabitha got the desired reaction from the commodore, who lost the ability to talk. He turned red and cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"Besides," she continued to finish the argument. "Silver didn't ask you to protect my _reputation_, and everyone on this ship already knows that Jim and I - "

"I don't care what they know," he interrupted, regaining his composure. "Silver wanted me to take care of you, and I feel the best way for me to assure that would be if you slept in your own room."

He pointed down the hall to the third and final bedroom.

Tabitha scoffed. "You can't - "

"_Now_, Miss Alexander," he emphasized.

"But - "

He didn't say anything else, just glared down at her. She stared back just as intensely for a moment before turning and stomping off to the other room. She slammed the door shut, leaving the commodore and I standing together in an awkward silence. Commodore Aldamae started towards his room.

"Sir!" I shouted, running a few steps after him. He turned back around to face me, still glaring. "She, uh... she needs to stay with me."

The commodore raised his eyebrows skeptically at my completely laughable statement. "_Needs_ to?"

"Well, yeah, she won't... she's..." I tried to explain, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I'd promised Tabitha I wouldn't tell anyone she was having nightmares, and no other logical reason for her to 'need' to stay with me came to mind.

He looked completely amused by the whole situation. "My dear boy, I think you can survive on your own for one night. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"Yeah, but - no, you see, I - she needs - " I tried pointlessly to explain. The commodore ignored me completely and retired to his room.

I went back to my room and changed clothes, sighing frustratedly the entire time. _How dare he? He had no right to do that. He wants to be captain? I'm not happy with it, but fine. He wants the bedroom that goes along with it? Whatever. He wants to separate me and Tabitha? We're going to have a problem._

I fell onto the bed, still irritated that I would not be sharing it with anyone. Part of me almost wished that Tabitha would have a nightmare, just to show him, but I immediately took it back. Tabitha didn't need to suffer just because I was infatuated with her. I decided I would just wait, until the commodore had fallen asleep, then go over to Tabitha's room.

Feeling a bit more relaxed now that I had a plan, I laid down... and fell asleep.

* * *

A few hours later, Jim got his wish. Tabitha was tossing and turning as disturbing visions plagued her mind once again.

"No!" she shouted.

Jim woke up and immediately wanted to smack himself for falling asleep before he'd gone to check on Tabitha. He started to wonder why he had suddenly awoken now of all times, then he heard Tabitha's screams from the room next door.

"Jim! No!"

In mere seconds, Jim was out of bed, down the hall, and in her room by her side. Tabitha was twisting about wildly, moaning unintelligibly save for the occasional 'no' or 'Jim'. Jim grabbed her arms, trying to calm her, and she let out a high-pitched scream of terror.

"Jim!"

"It's me! I'm right here, Tabitha! Wake up!" he pleaded.

She fought for another moment then abruptly shot up in bed, nearly butting heads with Jim in the process. She was apparently more aware that she'd been having a dream than last time because she didn't ask Jim anything; in fact, she didn't even really look at him. As soon as she was sitting, she almost instantaneously flung her arms around his neck tightly and began to cry.

Jim was a bit taken aback by how suddenly it had all happened. She was trembling like a leaf, so Jim tightly wrapped his arms around her as he felt her tears begin to soak through his shirt.

"Shh, it's okay. You're alright. It was just a nightmare again."

At that moment, the commodore appeared in the doorway, obviously having just woken up as well; he was barefoot, wearing pants and his blue overcoat with no shirt.

"I heard shouting..." he trailed off as he spotted Tabitha. He observed her for a moment, then looked to Jim for an explanation.

"This is why she needed to stay with me," Jim said harshly. He glared up at the captain for a moment, then turned his attention back to comforting Tabitha. "It's okay, I'm here..."

"Nightmare..." the commodore mumbled under his breath as he began to realize what was going on, though he still looked completely baffled by the entire situation. He stared blankly at the couple for a moment before finally clearing his throat. "Yes, well, I suppose... this arrangement could work... for the time being."

Jim didn't respond. The commodore didn't know what else to do or say; he sighed in defeat and walked back to his room.

"Jim - " Tabitha whimpered.

"I'm right here, don't worry. Everything's fine. It was only a nightmare," Jim repeated in his attempt to comfort Tabitha, but she didn't appear to be any calmer. "Here, scoot over and I'll lay down with - "

"No."

Jim was once again taken aback. "Wh-why?" he stammered, wondering if he'd somehow offended her.

"I-I don't w-want to stay i-in here," she mumbled.

"What?"

"I d-don't want to stay in h-here. I-I want to go to y-y-your room."

Jim opened his mouth to question her request, but thought better of it. She was still in hysterics; now was not the time to demand answers. Instead, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to his room like she'd asked. He sat her down on the bed and tried to pull away momentarily, but she wouldn't release him.

"Tabitha, let go for just a second..." he whispered.

"No," she refused as she tightened her grasp around Jim even more. Jim wasn't sure what to make of this, so he simply picked her back up and walked back over to close the door. With Tabitha still shivering, he placed her on the bed then sat down next to her. Even those few inches they were momentarily separated seemed to much for Tabitha; as soon as Jim was on the bed, she pulled herself as close to Jim as possible.

"Tabitha, what - " Jim choked through her vice. He tried to loosen her grip just slightly so that he could breathe easier, but he couldn't. "What's the matter?"

"I love you," she choked out as a non responsive answer to Jim's query.

Jim was clueless as to what to do. "I-I love you too..." he stammered as he continued to hold her and wait for her to calm down.

He had no idea how to reassure her, and she couldn't stop crying long enough to tell him what was the matter. After what seemed like hours, when she finally manage to take a couple of deep breaths - though she still didn't relax her hold on Jim - he decided to question her once again.

"Tabitha?" he whispered hesitantly. "What happened?"

She finally released her Jim and slowly pulled back to face him. She opened her mouth and stared at him momentarily, then closed it and shook her head. As a new batch of tears began to fall, she fell back against Jim.

Jim strongly embraced her again. "Okay, okay, don't worry. You don't have to tell me - "

"Ivan."

It was shocking how one simple name could infuriate somebody so much. Why did this man keep having to cause Tabitha - and everyone else, really - so much grief? "You're nightmare was about Ivan?"

Tabitha nodded.

Jim gritted his teeth together. "What about him?"

"He..." she tried to choke out an explanation, but once again couldn't talk.

He ran his hand across her back in a soothing motion.

"I don't... want to say it," she managed.

"You don't have to," Jim emphasized in concern.

"No, I need to. You have to know in case - " she stopped and bit her lip as she willed herself not to cry.

"Tabitha, if it's this hard to say, then just don't," he begged.

"But..."

He continued to stroke her hair and back. "No, it's okay. Really."

She wrapped her arms back around Jim, though this time around his torso instead of his neck. "I love you," she repeated in a hushed voice.

"I love you, too," he replied.

Tabitha's sobs died down but her tears continued on; Jim continued to hold her close to him and whisper peaceful reassurances to her.

"I'm right here. It's okay, I promise..."

* * *

**  
--Tabitha's POV--**

I woke up feeling terrible; my throat and eyes hurt, my head was pounding, and I didn't feel even remotely rested.

I realized my hand was clenching the fabric of Jim's shirt, and slowly I relaxed my fingers and released my grip. I tried to shift away from Jim, carefully removing my arm that was wrapped across his chest and pushing myself up slowly, but my efforts were in vain. Jim stirred out of his sleep, groaning as he blinked hazily. When he'd finally adjusted and saw me sitting there, his sleepy facial expression changed to one of alarm and he quickly sat up.

"Tabitha," he said worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," I yawned.

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," I moaned as I flopped back down on my pillow.

"Well, you look heavenly," Jim grinned.

"I highly doubt that," I chuckled lightly at his cheesy pun, though I still felt awful.

He smiled sadly. "Why don't you take the day off? I'll talk to Commodore Aldamae - "

"No, no. That's the last thing I need," I told him as I pushed myself off the bed to prove I was motivated. "I need to be out doing things, not left alone to my thoughts..."

I did not want to dwell on my thoughts at all since most of them revolved around the nightmare I'd had, which had by far been the most frightening one yet. The subject of it, combined with how real it felt, paired with how we'd recently figured out my dreams all held an element of truth to them... I had to stop. Even pausing to think on it for a moment made me start to choke up, which Jim noticed.

"Hey, what - " he began in a concerned tone as he reached out to me.

"I'm alright. I just keep thinking about that nightmare, and..." I sighed. _Focus on something else, Tabitha. Anything. Focus on your clothes, or what your plans are for the day, or the voyage_ - but that quickly led me back to Ivan, which quickly led me back to my nightmare. I just couldn't escape it.

"Can you talk about it now?" Jim asked hesitantly.

"No, I - " I took a deep breath and shook my head to clear it. "Not yet. I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright," he rejected my apology. "I'm just trying to... find someway to help."

I couldn't help rolling my eyes; he would never learn. "Jim, just you being there when I woke up, and being here now, is all the help I need."

He smiled and actually looked a bit relieved. I quickly kissed him then headed to my room to change. As soon as I shut the door behind me, I started to feel that jittery, nerve-wracking, panicky feeling I'd had last night. Just being in the room where I'd had the nightmare reminded me of it and before I could try to distract myself it was once again playing through my head.

_Ivan and Jim. Both of them looked really angry. They began to shout at each other, but their voices were too muffled to understand. I shouted out to them to stop, but they couldn't hear. Their voices got louder and louder until they both pulled out their laser pistols and pointed them at the other. Again I shouted out for them to stop, but they didn't respond._

_A single shot was fired... and Jim collapsed to the ground._

"No!" I actually said out loud. I would not think about it anymore. It was just a stupid dream...

But a part of my mind argued that it wasn't just a stupid dream, and it was right. I knew that the dreams before this had all held some small element of truth... it only made sense that this one would be the same. And if that were the case, then what if the true part was Jim...

I noticed my hands had started to shake as I got dressed. I began to mentally make a list of things to focus on that might distract me - my friends, lessons from medical school... The list was so short. I quickly realized how many of my thoughts were about Jim, or at least related to him in one fashion or another.

I was so lost in thought that when I walked down the hall and up to the deck a few minutes later, I ran smack into the commodore who was standing at the top of the steps.

"Oh. Tabitha," he said as I rebounded off of him.

"Sorry, sir. I wasn't paying attention," I apologized.

"Not paying attention!" Morph, who'd been relaxing on the commodore's shoulder, repeated.

"No matter," he waved away my statement. "How, ah, are you feeling this morning?"

"I've been better, but I've also been worse," I replied with a smile I hoped was convincing; I wanted to believe that the second part of that statement was true, but I couldn't think of any examples.

"Oh good, quite good," he blabbered nervously. "Tabitha, I..."

"Yes?" I questioned, slightly confused as to why he appeared so put off.

"I want to apologize."

I started; that seemed uncharacteristic of him. "Apologize, sir?"

"Yes, well, last night," he began. "I believe that you were right. I was out of place when I ordered you to your own room. You are an adult, and you should have the right to make that decision on your own."

"Oh," I said stupidly. "Um, thank you... sir."

Morph suddenly zipped off to meet Jim as he appeared on deck beside us. The blob nuzzled up against him happily, and the commodore chuckled. "And I believe I owe you an apology as well. I should not have separated you and Tabitha. It's clear that you really care about her, and she needed you there last night. I'm very sorry to both of you. Your welcome to stay together, if you wish."

_Wish? I do much more than wish._

"Uh, thanks," Jim mumbled, thrown off by the commodore's sincerity.

Commodore Aldamae nodded cordially to us and turned to leave.

"Hey, wait," I called, taking a couple of steps after him.

He spun back around to face me. "Yes, Tabitha?"

"I'm sorry, too," I apologized. "I was rude to you and you were only trying to help and do what Silver asked you to do."

"That's quite alright," he smiled.

Jim stepped forward to my side and grabbed my hand. Morph flew back to Commodore Aldamae and giggled before transforming into a tiny couple, then back into his giggling, blobby self.

The commodore laughed. "I agree, Morph. They're a lot like Silver and Abby were."

"Abby?" Jim and I questioned in unison.

"Abigail," he explained. Jim and I looked at each other, then back up at the commodore, clueless as to what he was talking about. "Silver never told you of Abigail?"

We both shook our heads, our eyes wide with intrigue. Morph turned back into the the miniaturized couple; this time, we were able to recognize the male as a young, non-cyborg version of Silver. He was dressed in formal outfit that paired nicely with the ballgown the tiny girl he was with was wearing. Young Silver offered his hand to her and they began to dance.

"Is that her?" Jim squinted at the tiny pair.

"Yes, that's Abigail," the commodore replied, smiling at the dancers.

"How did... I mean, where did... what - " I stuttered, still trying to process that the old pirate I knew was once young and charming.

Commodore Aldamae laughed. "It's quite funny actually, how they met. She was actually a stowaway on the ship that Silver and I first met on, when he was my cabin boy. She was found near the beginning of the voyage, but it was too far along to turn around, so she was set to work for me as well. Well, I guess I should say 'he' was set to work," he laughed again, then continued to answer our inquisitive glances. "She was disguised as a boy when she was discovered, and managed to do a fair job of keeping up the act. I think I was the only one who was ever suspicious of her, but I didn't say anything. She was a hard worker, so as long as she wasn't hurting anyone and nobody was hurting her, I saw no reason to turn her in."

"So how'd everyone figure it out?" I asked.

"Through an embarrassing series of events," he shook his head in amusement. "Silver was the first to figure out she was a girl for sure through a rather awkward experience caused by one of them not locking the door when she was bathing and... well, I think you're smart enough to deduce what happened." Jim and I both snickered quietly as the commodore continued his story. "After that, Silver convinced her to confide in me too, hoping that I could provide her with some extra protection if anyone were to become suspicious of her, which they did."

"What happened?" Jim asked.

"Well, after the fore mentioned experience, the two of them slowly developed feelings of more than friendship towards each other - that's what first caught the crew's attention. It wasn't entirely clear what was going on between the two cabin boys, only that there was something peculiar about it. No one spoke of it, but everyone had their suspicions. Her identity wasn't revealed until later, though, when she ended up in a fight with one of the other crew members. She was injured, knocked unconscious, and when the ships doctor tried to tend to her, it became quite clear that she was not in fact the male everyone believed her to be."

"Silver pleaded with the captain to let her stay on board until the end of the journey rather than dropping her off at the next available port, and, with a help from me, the captain obliged. She was rather embarrassed by the whole situation, and worried about being the only woman on a ship full of men now that her secret was out, but Silver reassured her and promised to protect her, and thus, their relationship was born."

"They were really a couple?" I asked. Silver wasn't exactly the kind of guy I would picture as romantic. Then again, neither was Jim when I first met him.

"Oh, yes, very much so. For years, every time Silver departed from or arrived at the spaceport, she was waiting there with open arms... until one day she wasn't there anymore," Anthony said, a tone of disappointment evident in his voice.

"What happened?" I whispered in shock.

"I'm not entirely sure," Anthony said earnestly. "I of course asked him, but he wasn't inclined to talk about it, and I didn't want to push the matter, but whatever it was, it was a shame. They were destined to be together. "

"He was scared," Jim blurted out.

The commodore and I both turned to look at him questioningly.

Jim blanched. "H-he told me."

"Told you what?" I asked suspiciously.

"He told me about this girl he never got up the courage to propose to. He didn't tell me her name, though; I'm just assuming that's who he meant..." Jim stopped. "But maybe it's not..."

My heart skipped a beat. How had they gotten on the subject of relationships and proposals? There was only one logical way that would have come up in conversation...

"No, that's definitely who he was referring to," Commodore Aldamae said.

"But if they were serious enough for Silver to be considering proposal, why would they just break up like that?" Jim asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"Maybe she got tired of waiting and broke up with him," I answered, the immediately wanted to smack myself. _I didn't mean for that to come across like that! I'm not going anywhere; take your time, Jim... if that's even what you're planning to do...  
_

A look of sheer panic crossed Jim's face for an instant as I desperately tried to think of something reassuring to say. I was helpless, though; anything I said would make it obvious I believed he was planning on proposing, and if he indeed was, the fact I'd figured it out would probably hurt his pride... _Stupid, Tabitha! Stupid, stupid, stupid.  
_

"Yes, that would seem a plausible explanation," the commodore agreed. "But who knows really? Love is a strange and glorious thing..."

The tiny couple continued to swirl in circles. The girls black hair flipped gracefully each time she was spun, until they finally stopped. Tiny Abigail curtsied while tiny Silver bowed; then he took her hand and placed a kiss on it, before Morph turned back into his pink jelly state, leaving the three of us staring off into space, dreamily absorbed in our own thoughts.

* * *

Silver tapped the holographic screen of the tablet.

"T'ís t'ing better work..."

Suddenly, the screen lit up a translucent purple color, with stars and planets showing up as small violet dots. Silver couldn't help but chuckle as he was reminded of the map of Flint's Trove.

"Alrigh'... now where are ya, lass?"

Silver waited patiently... but nothing happened.

"Blast it all," he said bitterly as he tossed the panel across the old trusty longboat.

He sighed angrily, cursing himself for getting himself into this situation. If only he'd known that Ivan knew, had always known, about the fortune, and that he was Tabitha's godfather. If only he'd known that Ivan had been using him to do his dirty work. If only he hadn't ever agreed to meet back up with Ivan, if only he hadn't told him when he'd discovered Tabitha, if only they had never overheard that woman at the bar...

Silver was suddenly struck with a thought when his brain made a connection he hadn't thought about earlier. Ivan had said that he _assumed_ Charlotte had drunkenly blabbed about Tabitha... but Ivan had been there the night they overheard the woman at the bar jabbering on about an Alexander girl... had that been Charlotte? It must have been. And if Ivan had talked to Charlotte like he said he had, and then she was there that night... his heart fell for more than one reason.

If that had been Charlotte, that mean that Ivan must be working with her. It also meant that the woman wasn't who he'd originally thought... it wasn't Abby. He would have sworn, that from across the smoke filled room, it had been her. Her raven black hair paired with unnaturally blue eyes... but that was all he'd been able to see. He couldn't assume that it was her based solely on that. It had been so long since they'd last seen each other. What were the chances that, in all of the Etherium, they would have just happened to end up in the same tavern, on the same night, at the same time. Then again, fate had a funny way of planning things...

But it wasn't her, Silver reminded himself. As much as he'd wanted it to be Abby, it wasn't. It was some woman name Charlotte, Tabitha's second cousin, and a woman he'd never even met, and that was for the better. Even if it had been Abby, what then? Would he have walked over to her and introduced himself and prayed that she remembered him? No, he would have chickened out, just like the last time...

He shook his head. What did it matter? It wasn't her, and if it had been her, he'd missed his chance then too. She was long gone... and that was not the issue at hand. Tabby - that was who he needed to be focused on now.

Silver scoffed to himself, shaking away all thoughts of the gone, but certainly not forgotten, girl and focusing back on Ivan. He even had Charlotte, Tabitha's own flesh and blood, working against her. He'd have to remember to tell Anthony that when he spoke with him... How that man could ever fool so many people was beyond him, but he'd fallen victim to it to, just like everyone else.

Silver tilted his head back, pulling his hat over his eyes. The entire situation was bittersweet; at least Tabitha would not be conned by Ivan, since Silver had told her what happened. But, at the same time, he'd lost her because of it. She no longer wanted him around... but at least she was safe - that's what Silver wanted most.

His mind drifted over to thoughts about the commodore and when he would go talk to the kids. He could just imagine the commodore telling Jim that he was taking over, and chuckled when he pictured the boy's scowl he'd seen him wear so many times before. Would they trust Anthony though? Would they agree to go with the commodore, based only on his word that Silver had in fact sent him? No, of course they would. Commodore Aldamae not only had their ship, but Silver had told him so much information that Anthony should not have any problem convincing them... As long as they trusted Silver.

Silver sighed. He'd asked them to in the note, but he was living on a prayer that they actually would after all of this. With any hope though, they would agree to letting the commodore accompany them on their journey, and they'd be off to discover the fortune in no time, with Silver keeping watch from a distance... That is, if this blasted navigational tracking device would actually work.

As if it had heard Silver's mental plea, a small red dot suddenly appeared near the bottom right hand corner, blinking and accompanied by a quiet, steady beeping sound. Silver tilted his hat back at the noise and picked up the screen again. Silver touched the dot, and the map zoomed in to a more precise location - a short distance away from Crescentia Spaceport to be exact.

"Thank t'e heavens," he laughed gratefully.

Commodore Aldamae had found Tabitha and Jim. They still trusted Silver enough to trust him.

They were on their way.

* * *

**Eh, I don't have much to say about this chapter. It's pretty self explanatory.**

**Questions? Comments? Love it? Hate it? You can still request something you'd like to see in the story, too!  
You just have to leave a comment :D  
**

**Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it!  
-Emily**


	28. Welcome to Lacuna

**Oy, this chapter took FOREVER to write.  
**

**I just couldn't force myself to sit down and write it; I kept getting distracted by future plot points.**

**Anyway, sorry about the wait, but here you go!**

* * *

Jim was awake even before Tabitha started shouting; for now, she was only tossing and turning and moaning. Each night Tabitha's nightmares returned, his response to her cries quickened. He sat up and switched the lamp on the bedside table on.

"No! Jim!"

"I'm here, Tabitha. Wake up, it's okay."

Tabitha continued to whimper his name as she writhed beneath the covers. "Jim..." Then she suddenly jolted awake and sat up, panting hard. As she took in Jim's worried facial expression, she realized she'd had a nightmare, yet again, and started to cry.

He immediately embraced her and pulled her close. "It was just the nightmare again. Don't be scared."

If only he knew that it wasn't she was scared; it was so much more than that. This was the only dream that kept returning exactly the same. Each night, it felt more real, and each night Tabitha became more and more convinced that it, like her other dreams, held some element of truth. For the umpteenth night in a row, he sat holding her as she cried against him.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, still shaking slightly.

"Can..." he began hesitantly. "Can you, you know, talk about it yet?"

She couldn't. She couldn't bare to say it out loud. Talking about it would give it a level of tangibility that Tabitha just couldn't deal with. As long as she didn't speak of it, it was just a dream; the instant she told Jim what it really was, it would be something more.

"I really don't want to," she whispered.

"Okay..." he sighed. "You don't have to. I'm just worried about you. You keep having this dream and... I just... wish I didn't have to see you like this."

Jim was tempted to beg for an explanation; curiosity and concern were eating away at him constantly. If only he knew what the dream was, then maybe he could help her, or at least do a better job of reassuring her. Right now, he felt useless; obviously, his hugs and comments weren't helping as much as he wanted them too, and watching her have to go through this night after night was stressful, to both of them.

"Do you think you can go to sleep now?" he questioned, the anxious concern still written across his face.

Once again, she fell against Jim's chest, not because she was crying, just because she wanted to be as close as possible for as long as possible.

"Hey, it's okay, don't worry..." Jim continuously soothed as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, thankful that at least she wasn't crying anymore. "I love you," he whispered. When she didn't reply, he looked down at her and couldn't help but smile.

Tabitha didn't remember falling asleep, only the feeling of his arms around her, the smell of soap, and the smooth sound of his voice...

* * *

Tabitha awoke bright and early the next morning. She sat up and stretched, and was surprised that Jim didn't stir at all. Normally her movement was enough to wake him, but he didn't move a muscle. She looked down at him and smiled; he looked so relaxed, and there was no real reason for him to be up right now, so she let him sleep.

Quietly, she grabbed her diary off the bedside table. She looked over her last entry and realized it was the one she'd fallen asleep while writing, the one she'd written the day Silver had left. Scanning back over it, she realized that her feelings now were drastically different from what she had felt then. Then, she'd been lost and insecure and completely perplexed by the entire situation; there had been so many questions she'd needed answers to. Now, she was at least a little more informed.

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**I think I will always be amazed by how quickly things can change. Since my last entry, I've learned a couple of things. I was right - Silver did leave because he thought I didn't want him to come. Silver gave the ship to Commodore Aldamae so that he could protect us instead. At least he still cares about me and Jim, I guess, though I wish he was here instead of this commodore guy. I must have been mistaken about my dreams - Silver was still trustworthy, they couldn't have been about him. No, they mean something else, and with these latest nightmares, I'm beginning to think that something else has to do with Ivan.**_

_**And those nightmares - as if I wasn't worried about Jim's safety enough. I told him before we even left that I was worried about him, and now this. If I have to watch Jim fall like that one more time... I just hate it so much, but I can't bring myself to tell him. If these are somehow predicting the future just like all my others have, then I really hope it's not about Jim.**_

_**I don't know; I still have so many questions, but everything is just so blurred together now. I just need to focus on the task at hand - talk to Charlotte. That's it. Then we'll be reunited with Silver, and everything will be okay. I hope.**_

_**Besides all of that though, there's Jim and this whole idea of marriage. That's on my mind at least as much, if not more, then everything else combined.  
**_

Jim chose this as the opportune moment to wake up. He rolled over and stretched sleepily before his eyes blinked open.

"Morning," Tabitha smiled.

"Morning," he said, his voice rough from sleep. "How long have you been up?"

"Not long."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

Tabitha shrugged. "You just looked so peaceful. Besides, it's my fault you're tired in the first place. If I'm going to wake you up in the middle of the night, it's only fair I let you sleep in the morning."

Jim furrowed his brow and sat up. "Tabitha, I don't mind being woken up if you need my help."

"I know, but you can't tell me that you enjoy it either," Tabitha suggested.

"Well, no," he sighed. "But I'd rather be awake then know that you're going through that on your own."

"Okay... but that doesn't make me feel any better about it."

Jim sighed again, but didn't feel like pressing the matter further. He looked down at the diary resting on Tabitha's lap. "What are you writing?"

"Just what's been happening," she said casually as she closed the book.

Jim smirked. "I saw my name."

"Yeah, so?"

"So what did you write about me?"

"Lots of things."

"Like what?"

"If I was going to say it out loud, then what would be the point of writing it in my diary?" she said coyly.

"Aw, come on!" he whined playfully. "Just tell me."

"Nope."

"Please?"

"Nuh-uh," she said as she turned and placed the diary on the table beside her. When she turned back around, Jim was only inches away from her.

"Please?" he whispered.

"Fine," she sighed. "I wrote..."

"Tell me," he grinned.

"That you are a typical, hormonal teenage boy that is constantly begging me to stroke his ego." Jim blinked, and Tabitha laughed and kissed him. "And that is part of the reason I love you."

Morph suddenly came flying excitedly into the room. "Up!" he squeaked. "Up! Up! Up! Up! Up!"

"We are up, Morph," Jim chuckled. "What is it?"

"Here!"

"Here?" Tabitha questioned the blobs exclamation.

"Here! Here!" He repeated as he transformed into a small copper colored ball with three smaller yellow ones surrounding it.

"Lacuna?!" Tabitha asked excitedly.

"Lacuna! Lacuna!" Morph squeaked as he transformed back into himself and excitedly flew out of the room.

Jim shook his head as he walked over and shut the door. Tabitha began pulling out the clothes to change into. Then, instead of heading down to the washroom to get ready as she normally did, she started to change right there, much to the surprise of Jim

"Tabitha are you - " but he stopped; the issue was no longer _where_ she was getting dressed, it was _how_. "...wearing a skirt?"

Sure enough, Tabitha had pulled on petticoats before slipping out of the shorts she'd slept in and was now preparing to put on a full-length mint green colored skirt.

"What are you wearing?" Jim laughed.

Tabitha scowled. "Shut up. You know perfectly well I don't have a choice."

"What?"

Tabitha looked up to see if he was just messing with her, but he looked actually confused. "You didn't know we'd have to dress like this?"

"Like what?" he asked nervously.

"Lacuna is _very_ proper. Girls never wear pants, always dresses. Men are never caught without their overcoat on - "

"Wait, what?" Jim said aghast.

Before Tabitha could answer, there was a knock on the door, accompanied by argumentative voices. Jim opened the door and was greeted by a displeased looking Cason and Graham.

"Have you heard?" Graham asked.

"Heard what?"

"What we have to wear!" Cason answered.

"No, Tabitha was just - "

"The commodore just told us! Dress pants, shirt, jacket - all of it," Cason continued.

"We do? I - "

"Where's Tabitha?" Graham sighed, exasperated with how clueless Jim was.

Tabitha walked over to the door. "What is it?"

They blinked in surprise, then Cason took one look at Tabitha in a skirt and threw his hands in the air and stormed off.

"Do we have to?" Graham whined to her.

"Yes. Now go."

Graham groaned and started to leave.

"What's the big deal?" Jim called after him. Sure, the uniforms weren't what they normally wore, but they weren't that bad.

Graham stopped and turned around to face him. "Have you been out on deck yet?"

"No."

"You'll see."

Jim shut the door and turned to Tabitha, still looking confused. "What's he talking about?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say the temperature," she shrugged.

"What about it?"

"When Morph turned into the little orange ball with the three yellow balls around it, the orange ball was Lacuna, the other three were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos - stars."

"There are _three_ stars that close to Lacuna?"

Tabitha nodded. "They're all pretty small, but with three of them, the temperatures tend to be sweltering."

"Yippee," Jim mumbled, now as discouraged by the thought of getting dressed as the rest of the boys.

Tabitha continued to get dressed, pulling on a dress shirt, a jacket that matched the skirt, and a pair of small, white gloves. She pulled her hair up into a bun, keeping her bangs and a few smaller wisps down, and stood in front of the mirror, impossibly trying to make the clothes more comfortable.

"Ugh, I look ridiculous," she complained.

"You look beautiful," Jim laughed.

"You're only saying that because you're my boyfriend," she argued while wearing a smile, then sighed. "I guess it'll have to do."

"Have to do? What else could you need?"

"A hat, or a parasol, but it would be pointless. I'm too tan already."

"You'll be fine," Jim assured her, though he really had no idea. If Tabitha was that worried about impressing the people here, she must have had good reason.

"I guess..."

"You ready?"

She turned around to face him and giggled. "Yes, but you're not."

"Wha - "

"Nice try," she laughed as she approached him and finished buttoning the top buttons of his jacket. Jim sighed as the last bit of comfort he'd been trying to preserve was taken away. When she finished, she smiled up at him. He smiled back and leaned down to kiss her, but his lips were halted by a gloved hand.

"That's another thing..." she said tentatively. "We can't act so affectionate in public."

"We're not in public," Jim smirked.

"Jim," she complained. "I'm serious! People here are _very_ conservative. Lacuna's small; a lot of the people here knew my parents, and I don't want to make a bad impression on them."

"Okay, so what? No kissing in public?"

"No. Nothing more than holding hands."

"Fine," he agreed reluctantly as they left the room. "But I'm expecting you to make it up to me later."

* * *

Soon enough they had docked the ship and were standing in the middle of the spaceport. It was not at all like Crescentia; it was so small that instead of being separated from the planet like Montressor's was, it was connected. There were only a few other ships docked there, and the atmosphere did not hold that rushed feeling like Crescentia did. The surroundings of the port were still quite busy though; this was clearly the center of business. Stores and carts and stands lined the streets as people and aliens alike brushed past each other as they ran errands.

"Whoa..." Jim mumbled as he surveyed the citizens of Lacuna.

Just like Tabitha had said, everyone was very proper. Looking around, Jim couldn't see a single girl who wasn't wearing a hat or carrying a parasol, or both. All of the men as well were dressed formally, many with top hats and canes. It struck Jim as odd to see aliens similar to the ones on the _Legacy_ dressed in their Sunday best and speaking like aristocrats.

And it was hot, just like Tabitha had predicted. They'd been docked less than ten minutes, and already Jim was having to wipe sweat off his brow. The rest of the group seemed to be in the same boat as him, except for Tabitha. She looked perfectly content with the heat; Jim suddenly realized why she hated cold weather.

"So... what now?" August asked.

"We find out where Charlotte lives," Tabitha explained as they set off.

"You mean you don't know?" Commodore Aldamae questioned.

"How am I supposed to?" Tabitha asked. When the commodore had no answer, she continued. "We're going to go talk to the only person I know."

"Which is...?" Landon asked.

"The man that gave me directions the night I left home."

"You mean the one's that led you to the rough end of town where those men cornered you in an ally?" Jim said, his voice raising slightly.

"Shh! Yes, him," Tabitha said.

"Then what makes you think it's a good idea to ask him for directions again?"

She shrugged as they set off. "He's the only person I know."

As they ventured further into the town, Jim quickly realized that they were catching the attention of almost every person they passed. Heads turned, fans covered whispering mouths, & people stopped dead in their tracks to observe them.

"Why is everyone staring at us?" Graham whispered to Tabitha.

"I don't - " She stopped, then turned around to look at all of them. After a second, she turned back around and began to walk, laughing quietly to herself.

"What?" Jim questioned bemusedly.

"I think I can answer that," the commodore chuckled when Tabitha didn't answer. "Men in uniform - am I correct?"

"Oh!" Rylee joined in Tabitha and the commodore's laughter.

"I don't get it," Theodore whispered.

"None of us do," August replied.

"Come now, lads. Surely you must know how the young ladies love a man in uniform," the commodore teased.

The boys looked around at each other, but all seemed as completely shocked as the others, which made the girls and the commodore laugh even harder.

"They really do?" Cason asked over-eagerly, earning a slap across the arm from Rylee.

"Yes, and Lacuna lacks a military or anything of that sort, so you lot are a diamond in the rough," the commodore explained.

"What's the big deal?" Graham asked, still looking around at the people on the sidewalks who were staring at them.

"It's just a uniform," Landon added.

"Would one of you ladies care to explain this?" the commodore asked Tabitha and Rylee.

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "A uniform indicates that you've been through some substantial amount of disciplined training and therefore have some level of integrity. It means you're honorable and respectable..."

"Strong, brave, most likely protective..." Rylee added.

"Tough, dignified, confident - "

"Dependable, a gentleman - "

"It means all that?" Graham interrupted, shocked, along with the other boys, at this new information.

"All that and more," Commodore Aldamae informed him. "But, girls, I think you left out one of the more important ones, or at least I think your friends would find it interesting."

The girls exchanged a knowing look which only pushed the boys curiousness further.

"What?" Landon asked as all the boys eyes widened with anticipation.

"You tell them," Rylee said.

"What?" Jim repeated eagerly.

"Fine," she sighed. "You all look... rather dashing."

At that, all the boys adopted smug smiles and pompously adjusted their uniforms.

"Don't let it go to your heads too quickly, boys," Commodore Aldamae laughed.

"Hey, if the shoe fits..." Graham chuckled.

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Just come on!"

They continued down the streets, the boys now parading more so then just walking, casting winning smiles and winking at the local girls.

"Would you stop that!" Tabitha hissed at them. "You're going to make them start swooning if you keep that up."

"And?" August laughed right along with the rest of the guys.

Tabitha ignored this and continued to press onward.

"Where are we going exactly?" Jim asked her.

She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at a faded sign reading "INN" that hung above the door of the building.

"This is it," she said as she entered the establishment.

"Uh, we're just going to wait out here," Graham suggested.

Before Jim could ask any questions, Graham, August, Theodore, and Landon crossed the street and approached a group of girls who were all fanning themselves and batting their eyelashes, and Rylee and Cason slipped into the bakery next door. Jim looked across the street to see Graham bow and begin a sentence, "Pardon me, my lady...", then rolled his eyes.

The commodore laughed at the boy's reaction. "Come now, Hawkins. We aren't all as fortune as you were in finding true love."

Jim glanced away and a smile started to play at the corner of his mouth, then he turned back to the man. "Are you coming?"

"I'll wait out here," he said politely.

Jim nodded and walked in, letting the door swing shut behind him. The inside was littered with tables, much like the Benbow Inn was. It was clear that this wasn't one of the finer places to stay - the wallpaper was dingy, the floor and ceiling were marked with water spots - but it was clean, nevertheless. There were only a few people downstairs at this hour of the afternoon, and, unlike the people on the streets, none of them seemed interested in the teens that had just come tumbling inside.

Tabitha approached the bar that lined the left hand side of the room and rang the bell for service.

"Hello there," a man greeted as he entered the room and took his place behind the counter. He resembled an elephant walking on it's hind legs, but was a pale purple color instead of gray. His face and trunk were covered with wrinkles, giving him an "old and wise" look. "What can I help you kids with?"

"Pardon me, sir," Tabitha began, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "You may not remember me, but I came by here one night about eight years ago. You gave me some food free of charge and pointed me in the direction of somewhere I might find work - "

"Oh, yes, yes dear. Of course I remember," he assured her with a smile. "Exhausted you were, and starved half to death, but I've never met a more determined little girl then you were. What was your name again? Agatha?"

"Tabitha, sir."

"Oh, yes... and, uh, who might this young man be? You were alone when last you came here, as I recall," he looked over the other teen.

"Oh, yes this is Jim Hawkins."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Mr. Hawkins. You can call me Mr. Underwood," he said as he his hands. "Now, what brings you to my shop today, Mrs. Hawkins? That last job I recommended not - "

"Oh! No, no, no!" Tabitha shook her head in shock. "He's not - I mean, we aren't... my name isn't..."

"We aren't married yet," Jim supplied for Tabitha's stuttering. Suddenly it hit him, the unnecessary word he'd added to the end of that sentence. He looked down at Tabitha and found her gawking at him. Jim felt his face warm as he swallowed nervously. He felt he should try to say something to her, but he couldn't. Tabitha observed his reaction, then did something that surprised Jim even more than his own slip-up - she smiled, genuinely, sincerely, hopefully.

"Oh, my apologies," Mr. Underwood stated. "I only assumed, since you were together..."

"It's quite alright," Tabitha said as she turned to face the innkeeper again. "Anyway, I'm actually looking for someone, my aunt, and I thought you might be able to help. Her name is Charlotte..."

Charlotte what? Reddend? Or would she be going under a different name to avoid attention? Or was she married by now?

"Um... I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not entirely sure of her last name," Tabitha apologized.

"Can't say it would matter even if you did. I don't believe I know anyone by the name of Charlotte."

Tabitha sighed and looked to Jim. He shrugged, reflecting the fact he had no idea where to go from there either.

Tabitha reluctantly turned back to the man. "Well, thanks anyway, sir."

"Wait! Wouldn't you care for something to eat, or a room perhaps?" the man asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Not at the moment, but we may be back later, depending on how our plans develop," Tabitha said kindly.

"Ah, very well," Mr. Underwood nodded. "Good day to you."

"So what now?" Jim asked.

"I don't know. That was the only plan I had," Tabitha sighed.

Jim squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. We'll think of something. We'll ask complete strangers if we have to."

Tabitha smiled as she opened the door and came face to face with not only the commodore, but two other gentleman. One was very tall with a round belly. He had a mustache and spectacle over his right eye. The other was also quite tall, but much more angular and younger looking. Both were dressed in fine gray suits and held a posture that suggested just a sense of superiority.

"Ah, here she is now!" the commodore cried as Tabitha appeared. He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward slightly. "Gentleman, this is Ms. Tabitha Alexander."

"Upon my word," the older, fatter man said as he peered at her through his eyeglass. "You're the spitting image of your mother, you are."

"Yes, I've been told," Tabitha said. "I'm sorry, but who...?"

"Oh, forgive me," the commodore apologized. "Tabitha, this is Mr. William Darcy, and his son, William Darcy, Jr."

"Then what am I to call you, if you go by the same name?" Tabitha smiled.

The younger Darcy stepped forward and, sweeping into a perfect bow, took her hand - "You may simply call me William" - smiled and kissed the back of her knuckles - "Miss Alexander."

Tabitha nodded cordially; behind her, Jim's fist tightened and he exaggeratedly cleared his throat.

"Oh, yes, and this young man is James Hawkins," the commodore said as Jim stepped forward.

The men shook hands, then Jim made a point to openly grab Tabitha's hand, since that was all he was allowed to do. William shifted, then stared Jim straight in the eyes. Jim made no movement other than to lace his fingers through Tabitha's, only tightening the bond.

"So, how is it that you two know each other?" Tabitha asked the Commodore Aldamae and Mr. Darcy.

The commodore chuckled. "Darcy here used to work for me."

"Indeed," Mr. Darcy smiled. "I was one of many captains that had the pleasure of working him. I retired early, though, when William was born."

"And... you knew my parents as well?" Tabitha continued curiously.

"Of course, dear. Everyone knew your parents. They were quite well liked. I don't know if you would remember much about it, but your mother's death affected nearly everyone in one way or another."

"Yes, I was only three at the time... but I remember."

"Your father's death, too," he added sadly. "I'd be lying if I didn't lose one of my dearest friends, and hardest workers."

"So my father worked for you?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. I thought you would have known that," Mr. Darcy sounded a bit puzzled.

"Ah, no sir," Tabitha said as she looked down. "I'm afraid I don't know much of anything about my parents..."

"Well, no matter. I'd be happy to tell you," he smiled kindly. "I'm the head of a company here that builds ships. Your father was one of the designers. He was quite good at his job, and quickly became my right hand man, so to speak. He spoke of you often, but it would appear his description of your beauty was either too modest, or you have simply grown into it more as time progressed."

Tabitha felt the blood rise to her face, as well as a few tears. "I thank you, Mr. Darcy. It's quite nice to hear someone speak so highly of him."

"I don't know how anyone couldn't. Samuel Alexander was a great man," he smiled sadly.

The commodore cleared his throat quietly to change the subject. "Tabitha - did you have any luck with... I'm sorry, who was it you were talking to?"

"Oh, yes, um," she shook her head. "Mr. Underwood - the owner of the inn. I spoke with him the night I left home. He was able to give me directions then, and I thought he might be able to do so now."

"May I ask what it is you are trying to find?" William queried.

"You may. A woman by the name of Charlotte."

"Charlotte?" Mr. Darcy asked.

"Yes sir. She's my second-cousin, see, and - "

Mr. Darcy laughed. "My dear girl, I know who Charlotte is. Your father and her were good friends."

"Yeah, friends..." Tabitha mumbled, recalling that she was the one who forced her father to continue searching for the treasure after her mother's death.

Mr. Darcy took no notice of her comment and continued. "Can't say I know much about her - Charlotte Bryne is either incredibly shy or incredibly secretive."

"Bryne?" Jim repeated. "Did you say Charlotte Bryne?"

"Yes, she's married to Ivan Bryne," William answered.

Tabitha and Jim exchanged puzzled looks.

"Well," the commodore cleared his throat. "If you would be so kind as to give us directions, I would be much obliged."

"Oh, not at all," Mr. Darcy said cheerily. "Her residence isn't far from our own. Come, we'll show you the way."

* * *

"Doesn't it seem odd to think we might have grown up together, if only you'd stayed here?" William proposed to Tabitha.

"Yes, I suppose," she said thoughtfully.

"Interesting, how circumstances change."

"Mmm," she answered in a tone of non-committal.

They continued to walk down the twilight-lit path, the commodore and Mr. Darcy Senior in front, Jim and the rest of their friends behind, with Tabitha and William in the middle.

William cleared his throat. "So... may I ask how it is you and Hawkins back there came to be friends?"

Tabitha turned to see Jim, chatting with the rest of her friends, but keeping a close watch on her and William. "You may, but I wonder if our friendship is really all you are questioning?"

"I confess, it is not," he smiled. "But I don't wish to be forward, especially when we've known each other so short a time."

Tabitha smiled back. "I'm afraid it's a long story either way, one that will have to wait until another day."

"As you wish," William granted, but his smile fell.

"Ah, here we are - the Bryne Residence," Mr. Darcy suddenly voiced.

"Okay, well, thank you very much for showing us the way," Jim said to William as he joined Tabitha's side.

William narrowed his eyes, but tilted his head politely. "Not at all."

"I wonder, Anthony, if you would like to pay a visit to my own home," Mr. Darcy suggested.

"That's very kind of you," the commodore said. "But I'm afraid I can't leave Tabitha alone and - "

"She's hardly alone, my good man!" he laughed. "I haven't seen Mr. Hawkins take his eye off her all night. I'm sure she's quite safe with him."

"Not to mention the other four men, if something were to happen to him," William added.

"Don't worry," Jim answered in a tone mocking sincerity. "There's no reason to concern yourself with that possibility."

His brisk formality caught Tabitha's attention and she turned to face him, but Jim didn't take his eyes off of William, not until, with one last worried glimpse back on the group, the commodore turned and left with the Darcy's.

"I don't like him," Jim said.

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Really? I never would have guessed."

"I don't like the way he was looking at you."

"Don't tell me you're jealous!" she said skeptically.

Jim shuffled his feet and looked away.

"Jim, don't worry about it," she smiled. "If I had the choice, I wouldn't even talk to him."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"He's too formal, too tall, and too conceited. Not to mention, he keeps his motives hidden," she answered. "I dislike him as much as you do."

"I don't think that's possible."

Tabitha leaned up and kissed him; Jim's eyes widened, but then he smirked.

"What happened to 'no kissing in public'?"

"We're not in public," she whispered.

"Ahem," Graham cleared his throat from a few feet away. "Maybe you should start considering your best friends as 'public'."

"Like you weren't doing the same thing with those girls back there," Jim countered. "And after you'd _just met them_."

"Stop it - we have more important issues at hand," Landon interrupted, gesturing to the house they were standing in front of.

Tabitha's heart started to pound wildly as realization swooped over her. She started to sweat, and she knew it wasn't just from the heat. She was either about to do something really stupid, really necessary, or both, and either way, it was really important.

She was about to put her life on the line to find out about her past.

"Come on," Jim grabbed her hand. "We can't stop now."

* * *

**I know - about time we actually got to Lacuna!  
And yeah, I wasn't feeling creative so I totally stole names. Thank you, Jane Austen XD**

**Again, sorry it took so long to write this. I kept getting distracted by future plot points... like the proposal scene!!  
That's right - it's been written! It's super cute, but you're going to have to wait a while to see it. Sorry!**

**I also wrote a couple of other really cute things, but I'm not sure if they'll make it in or not.  
They probably will just because they are so adorable and I love them so much :D**

**Ah, well. We'll have to wait and see.  
-Emily**

**NeverTooLate03: As B.E.N. would say - Hoozah! lol. I'm glad you still like it. I'm not going to say anything about your theory, but you'll find out soon enough ;)  
anon: Sorry if I put you into withdrawal again :/ I'll try to update sooner in the future. Thanks!  
23jk: Ah, I'm sorry, but you'll have to keep waiting for Jim to propose. I'm afraid the timing isn't quite right :D Thank you!  
Horsygirl96: Thank you! And no problem - I know how trips with no internet can be. Bleh. Anywho, you'll find about the dream soon.  
SweetAngel183: I know! Silver and Abby is really cute - though my opinion may be a bit biased. I never intended to have that originally, but once the idea came, it stuck, and I just had to do it! Thanks for reviewing!**


	29. Taking Sides

**100 REVIEWS & OVER 6,000 VIEWS! AHHH!  
**

**As B.E.N. would say - Hoozah! Thank you everyone so much! *throws a fiesta* You get a humpback whale! And you get a humpback whale! Uh... Dane Cook jokes? Anyone? No? ...Alrighty then, moving along.**

**Seriously, you guys - Thank you so much! If I ever meet any of my readers/reviewers in real life, I'll give you some Girl Scout Cookies.**

**Now, without further ado, what you all came to see - the story. AND to celebrate 100 reviews and over 6,000 views (and because I couldn't decide on a good stopping place), it's another long one :)**

**Enjoy!  
**

**

* * *

--Tabitha's POV--**

I'd only felt this lost one other time in my life: the day of the mutiny on the Legacy, when I'd had a fight with both Silver and Jim. I had so many questions: _Charlotte and Ivan are married? Is she in on Ivan's plan? Why didn't Ivan tell us? Why did the Commodore just leave us? Is this the right thing? What am I even doing here?  
_

Jim pulled me up to the front door and knocked.

"But what if Ivan's here?" Rylee asked in a worried whisper. "What are we going to do?"

"Then we won't go in," Cason whispered back.

"But what about Charlotte? Can we trust her if she's married to Ivan?" Theodore asked.

"We have to, at least somewhat. Tabitha wants to find out about her family," August replied.

"Everyone relax - we'll be fine as long as we stick together," Landon whispered.

I listened to my friends voicing some of the concerns that were running through my head, but their queries were lost in my tumultuous stream of consciousness.

The door slowly swung open, and there stood my second-cousin. My family.

My first thought was how beautiful she was. She appeared a bit older than my parents would have been, but not old by any means. She was taller than me, about Jim's height, and had a medium build. Her hair was black, but graying, and her eyes were a bright blue. There was nothing in particular that stood out about her, she was just... pretty.

"Um, hi," Jim said. "My name is Jim Hawk- "

"Oh, yes of course! I've been expecting you," Charlotte interrupted. "Come in, come in."

"Oh, um, thank you, but, um - " Jim stuttered, not really sure how to address the next issue. "Is Ivan here?"

"Not right now," she said confusedly.

"Okay, um..." Jim looked back at the rest of our friends before his eyes landed on me. I don't know what he was expecting, but all I did was stare back at him in my still dazed state.

"You do want to come in, don't you?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah..." Jim answered hesitantly.

We entered the house like a school of fish, none of us shifting more than a few inches away from the person next to us.

"Please, have a seat," Charlotte gestured to the furniture in the parlor we were now standing in. "Would you like something to drink?"

Everyone mumbled various 'no's, except for me and Jim; I was too overwhelmed to say anything, and I could feel Jim's stare focused on me. We all took our seats on the couches and chairs... and then it was silent. It was the weirdest silence I've ever experienced - tense, awkward, hopeful, worried, and filled to the brim with questions. Not to mention hot; the indoors were slightly cooler than outside, but not drastically. I could see that everyone was looking as uncomfortable on the outside as I did on the inside.

"Please, don't believe you need to stay so formal on my account," Charlotte finally said. "I know a lot of people wouldn't consider it proper, but feel free to remove your coats if the heat is getting to you. I don't mind in the least."

They didn't need to be told twice; after a brief pause to look at each other and verify this was okay, the boys all removed their coats, sighing gratefully at the small amount of relief this brought. Rylee however declined the offer and was content to simply keep fanning herself. The heat wasn't bothering me - I grew up here, I was used to it - and even if it had been, comfort was currently at the bottom of my priority list.

And then it was back - that heavy level of quiet that was pressing on all of us. I was sitting between Jim and Graham on a couch, Rylee and Cason were on a smaller love-seat, and everyone else was scattered on various chairs. I knew everyone was waiting on me to be the first to speak, but what was I supposed to say? I didn't know where to begin.

"You're my second-cousin," I finally said, half asking a question, half stating a fact.

"Yes. Your mother's cousin," Charlotte answered.

"And... you knew my parents well?"

"In a way," Charlotte answered. "I knew your father well, but not your mother. Our families weren't on the best of terms, and I never got the chance to meet her before she passed away. Everything I know of her I know on a second hand basis."

"Can you tell me about them?"

"What would you like to know?"

I started. _What do I want to know?_ I'd never thought of specific questions... "I... just want to know about them."

Charlotte blinked and adjusted her position in her chair. "Very well then. Why don't you tell me what you already know, and I'll fill in any gaps that you have?"

"Um, okay," I took a deep breath and began. "Well, my dad... all I really know about him is that he worked for a company that builds ships, and that I just learned earlier today. Other than that, I only have a couple of scattered memories from when I was younger... and my mom... I remember a little about when she got sick, and a few things I learned by reading her diaries... and people say that I look just like her... that's really about it, I guess."

"Well, I'll do what I can, but I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure what to tell you," Charlotte said apologetically. "As I said, I didn't know your mother, but I've heard that she was very smart, very shy, and very beautiful. I've seen pictures of her, and you do look remarkably similar to her. I know she loved books. Not the holographic kind we have, but old books, novels, that you have to read cover to cover."

"I remember that..." I smiled to myself.

Charlotte sighed. "I'm afraid that's really all I could tell you about her. Your father, now, I grew to know personally. He was smart enough, I suppose, but didn't stand out in the same way your mother did. He was always smiling, always laughing... always bragging about you."

"Really?"

"Yes," she smiled. "About how you were just like your mother - how beautiful you were, how smart you were, how you loved to read, how you never complained, no matter what was asked of you."

"He really said all that?"

"Of course. He loved you dearly, Tabitha."

I didn't understand. My dad never - NEVER - said anything encouraging like that to me. He never said I was beautiful, or smart, or just like my mother... or that he loved me, yet he'd apparently bragged about me to every person he'd ever spoken to. Not to mention that he even _knew_ these things; e was hardly ever home - I didn't have anyone to complain to, and how did he know I liked to read?

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I really don't know what else to say, unless you have specific questions you'd like to ask."

"Oh..." I sighed in disappointment. I couldn't think of anything else... I couldn't think of anything really... "I-I just..."

That's when it hit me - suddenly, unexpectedly - it wasn't that I wanted to know _about_ my parents, i just wanted to know them.

For the first time in my life, I genuinely, truly missed my them. I don't know what caused it - maybe it was being with Charlotte, maybe it was hearing about them, maybe it was just being back on Lacuna - but I felt like I was reliving their deaths all over again, except this time, I really, _really_, felt it. I'd always missed them, of course, but this... this was genuine grieving. This was craving something I'd never really appreciated. This was yearning for something I could never have. This was...

"C-can I use the washroom?"

"Um," Charlotte said, a bit taken aback. "Yes, of course. Just down the hall - second door on the left."

"Thank you," I mumbled as I stood up.

As my hand slipped out of Jim's, I felt him stand up to, and I knew he was watching me with concern, but I wasn't going to turn around. I wasn't sure what was happening to me, if I was about to cry, or faint, or throw-up, but I needed to be somewhere else, away from my friends and family. I had not been at all prepared to have some kind of emotional epiphany in the midst of everything.

I closed the door to the washroom behind me, closed my eyes, and sank to the floor.

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

Something was wrong, really wrong, with Tabitha. Before she even asked to be excused, I could see the color draining from her face and knew something was up. Then she'd rushed out of the room so quickly I hadn't even had time to ask if she was alright.

"So... you're Jim Hawkins?"

"Hmm?" I turned to Charlotte, trying to focus on what it was she had just asked. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I am."

She nodded and addressed everyone else in the same fashion. I was still staring after Tabitha.

"You could sit back down you know," Charlotte said with a small smile.

"Oh, yeah, um, right." I did, but I wasn't any less anxious about Tabitha's situation.

"Where's Silver?" she questioned.

"What?"

"John Silver," she repeated. "Ivan told me that he would be with you."

"Oh, yeah, he was supposed to be, but..." Jim struggled for an explanation. "There was a change in plans."

"Oh. I see..." She sounded disappointed.

"Um, so, you and Ivan are married?"

"What?" she said in surprised. "Oh, no, no. Where did you hear that?"

I sensed everyone's heads turning in surprise to look at the others for an explanation.

"Mr. Darcy said that your last name - "

"Oh, Mr. Darcy... no, we only tell people that to avoid getting a reputation," she explained. "We're in a relationship, yes, but we were living together even before that. When Ivan came to me after Tabitha left, he needed a place to stay, so I let him stay with me. It's just... slowly turned into more since then."

"I guess that makes sense..." I muttered.

Charlotte looked me over. "Is something the matter?"

_It's just that your husbands a liar. _"It's just that the way Ivan described everything made it seem like the two of you didn't actually know each other that well."

"Well, he hasn't been staying here the whole time. He's still a spacer; he's away on voyages fairly often," she shrugged.

Before I could question anything else, the sound of a key in a lock was heard. The front door swung open, revealing none other than Ivan himself. I was instantly back on my feet, quickly followed by Graham and the rest of the boys and almost Rylee, until Cason put a hand on her shoulder and made her sit back down.

"Hawkins! You finally made it! I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming," he chuckled as he hung up his coat and surveyed the group gathered in his house. "Where is Tabitha? And Silver?"

"She's just in the washroom, and he couldn't come. There was apparently a change in plans," Charlotte explained as she walked over and quickly kissed her... _boyfriend?_

No - there was something not right about it. The way they were together... it didn't look real. It looked like an act. Ivan didn't embrace Charlotte, didn't act like he missed her. _I embrace Tabitha if I'm away from her for more than a few hours._

But then again, Charlotte didn't look like she wanted to be embraced. Something about her posture made it seem as if she didn't want to be touched.

They looked like magnets, magnets with the same polar side that were being forced together, or acquaintances that hadn't seen each other in a long time and now that they'd run back into each other, were unsure of how to react.

Charlotte was smiling, but her eyes were completely void of emotion. Ivan was almost the same way, though his eyes did have some kind of emotion. It wasn't the way Tabitha looked at me, or the way Cason looked at Rylee - it wasn't love, it was... something else. Something that seemed familiar, but not welcome.

"Well, by all means, have a seat," Ivan said to us.

Nobody moved a muscle. I just stood there and glared at him as my brain worked through various plans of how to handle this situation. _You have to wait for Tabitha to go get back, or maybe you should just go get her. You need to get her out of here - now. _

"Is something wrong?" he laughed nervously.

"Don't play games, Bryne," I said bitterly. "Silver told us everything."

He started. "Everything about what?"

As I opened my mouth to answer, Tabitha re-entered the room and everyone turned their attention to her. She stopped, and looked around from person to person, hesitating for a moment when her sights landed on Ivan, then they were back to me, then Ivan -

"Tabitha, my dear! So good to see you!" he said happily as he walked over to greet her.

I didn't even make the decision to rush to the other side of the room; I was just suddenly there, standing between him and Tabitha. "Don't touch her."

He stepped back, looking shocked. "What in Heaven's name have I done to upset you?"

I was not in the mood for this act. I just wanted to get out of there, get Tabitha as far away as possible from. "You know damn well what you did. Come on, we're leaving."

Without another word, I grabbed Tabitha's clammy hand and had to nearly drag her as we pushed past Charlotte and Ivan and left, followed by everyone else. It wasn't until we were almost back down to the sidewalk and well out of hearing range that I opened my mouth again.

"Are you alright?" I asked Tabitha.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. She looked at me curiously, then shifted her gaze, as if not entirely sure where she was.

"Wait!" Ivan said as he rushed after us. "Please!"

"What?" I questioned angrily as I turned back to face him.

"There must have been some kind of misunderstanding," he stammered. "I don't have the faintest idea what it is you're referring to."

I scoffed. "Your little plan? The one you told Silver about? Sound familiar?"

Ivan blinked and looked to Tabitha.

"Forget it," I said as I turned to leave again.

"No, wait," he called. "Please, just come inside and we can discuss - "

"No, we aren't coming back inside and there's nothing to discuss!" I shouted.

"Jim," Landon said warningly as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Ignore it. Let's just leave."

Once again, we turned to leave the baffled Ivan standing on the sidewalk gawking at us.

"Wait, I don't... " Tabitha suddenly began.

Resisting the urge to sigh impatiently, I turned to her. "What?"

"Charlotte..." she said. "I... my family..."

_Damn it, why does this have to be so complicated?_ _Why does the one thing Tabitha want most have to be tied to the one thing that's out to get her?_

"Please," Charlotte said. She was now standing by Ivan's side, looking almost as startled as him. "Just come back so we can talk about this. I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

Sighing for even considering going back with them, I turned to everyone else. "Well?"

"I think we should go back," Rylee said immediately.

"What?" Cason turned on her.

"Jim, Tabitha will be safe as long as we're all there with her," Graham suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

_Thanks you guys - you were supposed to back me up_. "That is not the answer I wanted to hear." _Damn it. What am I doing?_ I sighed. "Tabitha?"

She looked up at me. She didn't say anything, but I could tell what she wanted just by looking in her eyes. Their was so much hope, she might as well have been screaming she wanted to go back.

I took a deep breath and turned back to Ivan & Charlotte. "Fine."

* * *

As part of the compromise, the group decided they would sit outside on the patio instead of going back inside. Because there was less seating, Rylee and Tabitha were sharing a small couch, as were Charlotte and Ivan. Landon and August were each in their own chair. Theodore was balanced on the railing surrounding the porch, Graham was leaning against it, and Jim was pacing.

There'd already been an awkward explanation voiced by Jim and Tabitha; throughout the story, Jim had been angry, while Tabitha was perplexed, causing the retelling of what Silver had told them to be confusing and hard to keep up with, as was now evident by the stunned looks on Charlotte and Ivan's faces.

Charlotte finally cleared her throat. "Why... don't I go get everyone some refreshments? What would you all like?"

Everyone else turned her down again, except Tabitha, who requested water. Charlotte got up to go get it, but Ivan put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"No, I'll do it," he said. As he stood up, he shook his head and sighed, as if not entirely sure what to make of the explanation.

That dark silence was back once again. Everyone just sat there staring at each other. It was unclear where they went from here.

"Were you in on this?" Jim asked Charlotte bluntly. It sounded rude, but he was done with putting up fake facades. Everything was out in the open now - what did they have to lose?

Charlotte blinked in surprise. "No. I don't know anything about this."

Jim rolled his eyes and continued pacing.

"I don't think Ivan does either," she continued.

He stopped. "What?"

"I don't think Ivan ever made that plan. It just doesn't sound like him."

Jim scoffed. Ivan came back out carrying a glass of what one could assume was alcohol for himself and a glass of water for Tabitha.

"Here you are," he said as he handed it to her.

Without a word, she quickly downed the entire glass as if she hadn't had anything to drink in days.

"Would... you like some more?" Ivan asked in an unsure way.

Tabitha shook her head as Ivan retook his seat next to Charlotte.

"What now?" Tabitha finally voiced the question they'd all been thinking.

"Well, I got to hear your side. I think it's time you hear mine," Ivan suggested. When no one objected, he went on. "Tabitha, Jim, all of you - I... I really don't know how to say this, but I... I've never said any of that."

"Yeah, likely story," Jim said.

"Please, listen," Ivan begged. "If you'll only hear me out, then I think you'll see that it really doesn't make any sense -

"I don't really care what phony explanation you have to cover up with," Jim snapped.

"Well obviously someone here must or you would have just left," Ivan said bitterly. "I understand why you must be angry, but please... " When Jim only rolled his eyes as a response, Ivan sighed. "Jim, if this actually was my plan, why in Heaven's name would I have told Silver about it?"

"Because you used to be friends," Tabitha quietly spoke up.

Ivan turned his attention to her. "Even so, I know how attached he is to you. I wouldn't go flaunting a plan to harm you to someone you said was practically your father."

"Then why would he just make all of this up?" she countered.

"Perhaps to distract the attention away from himself," Charlotte suggested.

Jim stopped and turned on her. "Are you saying that this was all Silver's plan?"

"Well wouldn't that make more sense?"

"No!" Tabitha and Jim said at the same time.

"But... with that night he saved you in the alley..." Charlotte began.

"What about it?" Tabitha queried.

Charlotte and Ivan looked at each other, then he looked back to Tabitha. "Tabitha... did Silver ever tell you about that night?"

"He didn't need to tell me. I was _there_," she said sarcastically.

"No, I mean..." he sighed impatiently. "Look, I know the two of you are really close now, but did he ever explain his initial reasons for taking you in?"

Tabitha shifted uncomfortably. "No..."

"Oh, well he..." Ivan sighed. "Let me just start at the beginning. That night, Silver had been at one of the taverns, the same tavern that Charlotte here had been in. That was the night she let slip about you and the fortune - "

"Which I should apologize for," she interrupted. "I'm so very sorry, Tabitha. When the night started out, Ivan and I were out searching for you. We split up, and then I stopped for a drink. 1 drink turned into 4 and pretty soon..." she sighed. "I'm so sorry."

Tabitha said nothing, but her face read that she was clearly considering her cousins request to forgive her.

"Yes, so we were both in the area that night. The tavern that Charlotte was in was, of course, filled with spacers and pirates alike, Silver included. At the time, he didn't think much of the story, assuming it was just that - a story, not actually based on fact. Later, when he saved you from those men, he did that out of the kindness of his heart, but the next day, when he offered to let you stay with him, that was because he assumed you were the girl from the story, the one that could lead him to the fortune."

Tabitha was completely confounded. "How... how do you know all that?"

"Well, obviously, if he had told then me he'd found the Alexander girl, I would have known it was you and would have rescued you right then and there - "

Tabitha gritted her teeth at the word 'rescued'. She didn't need to be 'rescued' from Silver.

" - but I didn't find out till later, after the two of you had already departed. And even then, the only story I ever heard about it was from the owner of the inn that you'd stayed at. He said a cyborg had left with a young girl... I put two and two together and concluded that, since we couldn't find you anywhere here on Lacuna, and nobody else had claimed they saw you, you were now with Silver. That was the only basis of information Charlotte and I had to look for you over the next eight years."

Tabitha looked, and felt, as if she'd just unexpectedly been doused with ice cold water. Everyone sat staring at her and Jim, waiting for one of them to have an outburst of some kind.

"That..." Jim began, surprising everyone with how calm he was. "That makes a lot of sense."

"It should. It's the truth," Charlotte said kindly.

"So you're saying the whole time I was with Silver, he was only using to me to find that fortune? That fortune I knew absolutely nothing about?" Tabitha nearly shouted.

"I hardly think he knew you didn't know about it, but yes, that's why he let you stay with him," Ivan said solemnly. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it is the truth."

The truth. Tabitha couldn't bear to here those words. This was not the truth. She didn't care if it made a lot of sense. Silver was not... no, it just wasn't true.

Then there it was again - that weakening, nauseating feeling she'd had earlier. She managed to keep it to a minimum since she'd left the washroom, but now it was back, stronger than before, and she was certain something was going to happen if she didn't get out fast.

Rylee was first to notice Tabitha's distress this time. "Tabitha?" she asked quietly.

At the worried tone, Jim stopped pacing and turned to face her.

"I want to leave." It was all Tabitha could manage to say. She couldn't stand around giving explanations, or stand at all for that matter. She got up determinedly, but her legs weren't as willing to comply. Rylee stood up to help, but Tabitha stumbled in the opposite direction and was supported by the expectant Graham.

Jim started to go over to her, but Tabitha quickly shook Graham off and stood on her own.

"Are you alright?" Charlotte asked in concern.

"I want to leave," she repeated more slowly.

"I am sorry, Tabitha," Ivan sighed as he walked over to her. "I know this must be hard for..."

But his words were lost before Tabitha could focus on them. It felt like someone had stuffed her ears with cotton. Her vision was blurring, but she could make out the outlines of several people standing around her... too many people... everyone was much too close...

Rylee was the first to figure it out. "She's going to faint," she hurriedly explained to Jim.

Jim rushed over to join the crowd around her as well. If he said anything, Tabitha didn't hear it. She just shook her head - no, no she would not faint.

Then her vision was all but gone completely, and that sick feeling in the pit of her stomach was moving upwards, slowly overwhelming her... she was going to be sick. That is what her mind chose to focus on: You're going to be sick. Get to the edge of the porch now.

"Tabitha..."

She shook her head again. Before she could lose her vision completely, she pushed past the people surrounding her and stumbled to where she was pretty sure the railing was. Theodore had just enough time to get out of the way before Tabitha came rushing to the side and started retching.

"Tabitha!" Jim cried out.

But she didn't hear his voice... or see him standing beside her... or feel his hand on her back...

Everything was black... just black.

* * *

The walk back to the ship was uncomfortable, pressured, and silent as the grave.

The teens not directly involved in the conflict kept quiet, as they had most of the night. This was not their place to interfere. All of their opinions on the subject would be kept between them, especially at the moment. The commodore and Jim, carrying Tabitha, who kept coming in and out of either sleep or consciousness or something in between, led the group.

"I'm sorry," Commodore Aldamae said once again. "I shouldn't have let you go alone."

Jim said nothing in return.

"What was it that happened that had such an effect on Tabitha?"

At the sound of her name, or perhaps just by coincidence, she moaned and turned her head slightly. Jim look down at her, still refusing to say anything.

"She will be alright, you know," the commodore said to the worried boy.

"She'd better be," Jim mumbled under his breath. He knew it wasn't the commodore's fault. Even if he'd been there, the scene would have played out basically the same. This just gave him someone to blame without having to put a lot of thought into who was actually at fault.

The commodore sighed remorsefully, giving up on conversation.

"You said Silver told you everything?" Jim finally asked.

Commodore Aldamae glanced over at him. "He did."

"Including the night he saved Tabitha?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?" Jim's voice was rough from pushing back emotions. Anger, sadness, confusion, worry - all fighting for a place.

"Several men went after her in an alley. Silver intervened and saved her."

"And then?" Jim asked expectantly.

"Then she fainted and he took her to the inn where he let her spend the night."

"And then?"

The commodore faltered, unsure of what it was the boy wanted. "Then she told him his name and what she was doing at the spaceport... and Silver offered her a job."

"Why?"

The commodore almost stopped walking in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"Why? Why did he take her in?" Jim demanded.

"I don't know, I suppose he felt sorry for her," the commodore answered, his own temper rising now. "What was he supposed to do? Let her go out alone and have the same thing happen to her again? She was alone in the world."

Jim scoffed at the empty reasoning. Silver had been a pirate. Pirates didn't just take in orphan girls because they felt sorry for them. Another part of his mind argued that they probably wouldn't save a girl in an alley either... but that was different. If Silver had had any morals left, he would have of course saved her like he did. There was no reason for him to take her in. That was a full time commitment, one that was unnecessary unless he was getting something in return... something like a fortune.

"What exactly do you want to hear from me, Jim?" the commodore asked.

"Forget it," Jim sighed as they finally reached the ship.

The commodore stopped at the bottom of the plank, but Jim continued on. The rest of his friends stopped behind the commodore.

"Can one of you please explain what's going on?" Commodore Aldamae sounded desperate.

The looked to each other, but Landon was the one who spoke up. "I... don't think we can. We've just been the bystanders in all of this... If anyone's going to explain anything, it needs to be Jim and Tabitha."

The commodore nodded, but was clearly upset by the situation.

"Besides..." August said. "We don't really know... what to tell you."

"I understand... sort of," Commodore Aldamae chuckled halfheartedly.

The teens returned the sad smile and continued up to the ship.

The commodore stayed in place. "Oh! And, I realize this is horrid timing, but we've been invited to a party, at the Darcy's home tomorrow night."

"Oh, boy," Graham said. "That's going to be the last thing Jim needs to hear right now."

"Not to mention Tabitha," Rylee added.

As the reached the ship and split up, Commodore Aldamae turned and headed back into town, navigating his way through the now mostly empty streets until he reached the place he was looking for.

* * *

The next thing Tabitha remembered feeling was hot. Her arms, her legs, her back, her chest... she was burning up.

She couldn't figure out if she was semi-conscious or just too sleepy to open her eyes, but either way, it was taking her a while to adjust to her surroundings. First she realized she was cold, then that she was on a bed, then that she wasn't wearing the ensemble she'd had on earlier, then that there was someone else in the room...

Slowly she opened her eyes. "Rylee?"

"Huh, August was right," the girl sitting beside her answered. "That stuff really will wake you up."

"What...?"

"Happened?" she filled in. "You're sick... or something. You threw up and then fainted. Jim carried you back, and then August suggested we feed you Aglettian roots. He said it would help wake you up."

"I'm hot," Tabitha responded as if she hadn't heard a word her friend had spoken to her. "Where's Jim?"

Rylee sighed. "He's kind of... stressed out right now. I don't really know..."

"What about everyone else?" Tabitha asked quietly, now a bit more cognizant of her surroundings. "The commodore?"

"No one's really said anything yet. We were mostly focused on you," she shrugged. "The commodore's really confused. Jim wouldn't tell him what Ivan said."

"Why?"

"I don't know, and I haven't had the time to ask. Jim asked me to come take care of you, help you change into something cooler to help with the fever and stuff."

That's why she wasn't wearing the outfit she'd had on earlier; Rylee had stripped her of her the cotton skirt and jacket along with the shirt and petticoats.

"What do you think?"

"About... all of this?"

Tabitha nodded.

Rylee sighed and walked over to the water basin. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do. You just don't want to tell me," Tabitha countered.

Rylee laughed sadly. "Yeah, you're right," she placed a cool wet-rag to Tabitha's forehead, "I think... that I still believe Silver."

"Good," Tabitha sighed. Rylee looked at her questioningly and she continued. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. I felt kind of stupid, still believing him, but I just... I just can't believe Ivan."

Rylee smiled. "Have I ever told you how much I envy you?"

"What?" Tabitha almost laughed. "Why? You wish you were at the center of all this attention?"

"Not exactly..." she said earnestly. "It's that you're... you're so strong."

Tabitha opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know what.

"Even through all of this, you've kept smiling. You know what you want, and you go after it. You always know exactly what to do, and... you've got Jim and Silver and Ivan and Charlotte... and I can barely even deal with a relationship with Cason!" Rylee choked.

Tabitha pushed herself up and reached a hand out to her crying friend. "Ry..."

"God, you see?" she laughed through the tears. "You're dealing with all of this, and I'm the one crying."

"What happened?" Tabitha asked. "Why are you upset?"

"No. You've already got a lot on your mind - "

"I can make room for my best friend!" Tabitha assured her. "Talk to me."

"It's not that bad. Really, I'm overreacting..." she took a deep breath and dabbed her eyes. "Cason... we had a fight."

"What?" Tabitha gasped. "Why? When?

"Just a little while ago. August said something about how he didn't know what to say about all of this and it sparked a conversation between all of us and we realized that we're kind of split down the middle on who we want to believe. Graham, Theodore, and I are all still taking Silver's side, but Cason and Landon and August kind of believe Ivan..."

"Oh." Tabitha couldn't help feeling guilty. If her friends were starting to take sides and fight with each other, then she was to blame. She was what caused all of this.

"But don't worry about it. We've already decided we're not going to try to influence what you and Jim want to believe. We're behind you, whatever you decide."

"Thanks, I guess," Tabitha said. "And hey, if it makes you feel any better, Cason's going to apologize. Probably tonight."

"I doubt it," Rylee scoffed as she dried her eyes.

"Well you're wrong. He likes you too much not to," Tabitha laughed. "I mean, have you seen the way he looks at you?"

"Oh, stop," Rylee blushed.

"I really am serious, Ry. He loves you."

Rylee blanched. "What? No, he..."

Tabitha smiled. "He looks at you the same way Jim looks at me..."

Rylee looked off dreamily, trying to remember that look.

"I bet he's on his way down here to apologize as we speak," Tabitha smirked.

And then Rylee did something Tabitha wasn't expecting at all - she hugged her.

"How do you always know what to say?" Rylee asked.

"I'm your best friend. It's in the job description."

They laughed, but were quickly interrupted by a knock at the door. Rylee raised her eyebrows as if asking if it was okay. Tabitha nodded and pulled the sheet up to cover her, then started to pull her hair into a ponytail to help cool her off. Rylee opened the door and was greeted by Jim.

"Is she awake?"

"Yeah," Rylee said as she swung the door open farther.

Jim walked over to the bed. Rylee started to shut the door, but was stopped when someone spoke up just as she was about to shut it.

"Rylee?"

She opened it back up, not quite as wide. "Oh. Cason."

"Hey, I just... are you... um, is Tabitha okay?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Good," he answered. "Um, I... can... can I talk to you?"

"Um... okay," Rylee said. "Hang on..."

"Okay."

Rylee shut the door and turned back to Tabitha, who smirked. "Told you so."

"How do you do that?" Rylee asked in a hushed whisper.

"Go. Make out - oh, I mean _up_ - with your boyfriend," Tabitha teased.

"Shut up!" Rylee blushed, but laughed right along with her as she left the room.

Tabitha turned back to face Jim and her smile fell. "Jim, I'm fine."

Jim was either concerned, or angry, or gult-ridden, or all of the above. "What happened?"

"Rylee said I fainted, but - "

"No, before that," he said as he sat down beside her. "Are you sick?"

"I really don't know," she sighed. "I started feeling bad when we were talking to Charlotte, but I thought it... it was just because of what she was telling me, like I was in shock or something. Then it started back up when Ivan told me his side of the story, and I thought it was the same thing, but then it got worse and... I don't know."

"But what actually happened? How did you feel?" Jim asked as he took the washcloth from her and went to wet it with cooler water.

"I just felt... sick. I don't know, Jim, I couldn't really focus on anything and I felt nauseous... and then my vision started to blur and stuff... then I threw up and fainted, and now I'm burning up. I can't figure it out. The symptoms don't really go together."

Jim gave her the washcloth again. "Maybe you really are just in shock or something."

"I guess so."

"But... you're sure you haven't contracted some awful disease?" Jim said, his smirk returning a bit.

"No. I already feel a lot better, actually," Tabitha smiled.

"Good. Now I'm not so worried about doing this." Jim leaned over and kissed her, tenderly, yet ambitiously. When he pulled back, he slumped over as he finally relaxed. "You know, I was... I was actually really scared."

"Scared?" Tabitha questioned.

"Yeah. Watching - " he paused long enough to clear his throat and cover up any emotions that were threatening to reveal themselves in his voice "Watching you faint was... If Rylee hadn't warned me..." He rubbed his neck, unsure of exactly how to explain that wave of terror that overtook him when he saw her collapse. "Please don't ever do that again," he laughed nervously.

"I don't plan to," she laughed. "But... what was so bad about it?"

"It was just... watching you fall like that..." he shook his head as if to clear the image from his mind. "Never mind."

"I really am okay," Tabitha assured him.

"I know," he smiled and cleared his throat once more. "Oh, by the way, since you're feeling okay, we're going to a party tomorrow."

"What?" Tabitha groaned. "Why?"

"The Darcy's invited us," he said, his voice expressing his annoyance as well. "And the commodore sort of already told them we'd be there, before he knew about... this."

"Ugh..."

Jim laughed at her reaction, then his face changed, as if he was seeing her for the first time that night.

"Don't even think about it."

Jim started. "I didn't even say anything!"

"Yeah, but I know what you're thinking."

"What then? Tell me," he challenged.

"You're thinking about the fact that I'm not dressed right now. Right?"

His jaw dropped, but then his smirk was back. "Well, yeah, _now_ that's what I'm thinking about."

"Oh, so you weren't before?" she teased.

"No. I was thinking..." but he dropped off and didn't finish the thought.

"I knew it. You had that look."

"'That look'?" he laughed. "What look?"

"That nervous but excited one. You always get it when you're up to something mischievous."

"Me? Mischievous?" Jim feigned shock. "No..."

Tabitha laughed, glad that the mood had finally let up a bit. "Alright, go over there and face the wall."

"What? Why?"

"Believe it or not, I actually prefer to wear clothes," she laughed.

"Shame."

Tabitha pushed him off the bed but they continued to laugh. Once he'd turned around, she got out and slowly stood up to make sure she wouldn't collapse or anything. Once she was convinced she could stand on her own two feet, she started to pull on some pants and a light-weight shirt as she was still pretty hot.

"I wish I hadn't freaked out so much," she sighed. "I wanted to find out more about my family."

"Well, we can always go back."

"Yeah, and do this all over again? I don't think so."

"It wouldn't be so bad now that we know what's really going on."

"What do you mean?"

"Ivan's story."

"What about it?"

Jim paused. "It makes a lot of sense."

"So?"

"So... I believe him."

Tabitha stopped, unable to believe what she'd just heard.

"Why?" Jim questioned the silence. "Don't you?"

"No."

At that, Jim forgot why he was supposed to remain facing the wall and pivoted back around. "What?"

Luckily, Tabitha was already dressed. "I believe Silver."

"What? Why?"

"What do you mean why? Because I trust him."

"Even after what Ivan told us?" Jim asked.

"Ivan's a liar."

"Yeah, says Silver," he answered. "Ivan's story actually made sense."

"So did Silver's," she argued.

"Not nearly as much though. Don't you remember? Back on Montressor, when Silver told us the story, you said that you felt like something was missing, remember? Well here it is! This fits in perfectly!"

"Well I don't want to believe it."

"Just because you don't want to believe it doesn't mean it isn't true."

She glared at him then shook her head. So much for the mood finally lightening up.

Jim sighed. "I don't _want_ to believe it either, but I don't really have a choice."

"Of course you have a choice!" she shouted.

"Tabitha," he sighed in exasperation. "It just doesn't make any sense. Ivan's right - if he had made that plan, he wouldn't have told Silver about it."

"We already went through this with Silver," she huffed. "He would if he thought that Silver would help him."

"But why would Ivan think Silver would help hurt you? That only makes sense if Silver's plan all along had been to hurt you, like Ivan said."

"But then if we believe that - "

"Look," Jim began sternly. "I know he's been like your father - "

"For eight years! I think that's long enough to figure out if you can trust someone or not. We've known Ivan, what? A month? And we haven't even been around him most of that time."

"Yeah, and five of those years Silver was with you he was only after you're family's fortune and the other three he was God knows where in the galaxy! Come on, you've known that he was a pirate since the _Legacy_. How many pirates do you think would adopt some orphan girl off the street unless they thought they'd be getting something in return? I know it's hard to - "

"No!" she shouted. "No you don't! You don't even care that he's the only real parent I've ever had."

"Of course I care!" he shouted back. "But now that we know we can trust Ivan, we can go back and find out more about you're _real_ parents. Then you won't - "

"Don't you dare say I won't need him," she turned on him. "And I don't care what Ivan said. After these dreams, I'll never trust him."

"Your dreams?" Jim asked in a tone of near awe that she was finally talking about it. "What about them?"

She sighed for even bringing it up. "Jim, I don't want to talk about - "

"I don't care," he said as he reached out and grabbed her arms. "I'm tired of watching you go through that every night. If it has something to do with Ivan, with any of this, you need to just tell me!"

"Fine!" she said, shaking his hands away. "You won't to know what they're about?"

"Yeah!"

"They're about you - dying. Every single night I have to watch you and Ivan argue, and then he raises a gun and shoots you."

Jim blanched. No wonder they'd bothered her so much. He'd had trouble just watching Tabitha faint once... having to watch her die... every night...

"So, yeah, forgive me for not believing him," she said sarcastically.

Jim snapped out of it. "But a few weeks ago weren't you having dreams about not trusting Silver?"

"I don't know, Jim!" she yelled. "I don't know what they're about! All I can do is guess!"

"So guess that these mean something different!"

"No! Nothing else - " She stopped. She had to. That feeling - the one she hadn't felt in years... It was back. That awful panicky feeling in her chest.

Jim said nothing, just sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and pointer finger. "Tabitha - "

"Just don't." That awful feeling... that sickening feeling of dread.

"Look, I'm sorry that you don't want to believe the truth, but this is the answer to all our problems. Shouldn't you be happy?"

"Happy? How the hell am I supposed to be happy?" she couldn't do this anymore. "How could you?"

"How could you not?" Jim yelled in frustration.

Tabitha stared at him for one intense moment, then turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Commodore Aldamae glanced around, then quickly entered the inn, walked over to the table, and joined the person he was there to see.

"You made it," the commodore said. "Seems that tracking device I installed worked pretty well after all."

"Guess so," Silver chuckled. "How's Tabby? Jimbo?"

"Oh, boy, do I have a lot of information for you," Commodore Aldamae sighed regrettably. When Silver looked alarmed, he continued reassuringly. "Don't worry! Everyone's... fine, I suppose."

Silver frowned. "That don't sound too convincin'."

He sighed. "I'll have to start from the beginning to explain it all. First off, you should know that they don't want to go find the fortune."

"Wha'?" Silver asked. "When'd t'ey make tha' decision? Tabby said she was goin' no matter wha' an' - "

The commodore held up a hand to stop him. "They apparently made it before you even left, they just didn't have time to tell you. Tabitha decided she really only wanted to come to Lacuna to talk to Charlotte and find out about her family, so that's all they're doing."

"She 'adn't gone t' talk t' 'er yet, has she?" Silver asked in a slightly panicked voice.

"Well, yes, actually," the commodore explained. "Why?"

"Blast it all..." he muttered. "I figured out that Charlotte must be workin' wit' Ivan. He said she was the one t' blab abou' Tabby's fortune, and he was t'ere wit' me tha' night at the bar - "

"So if he hadn't been working with her, then he would have stopped her and found out where Tabitha was? Correct?" Silver nodded and the commodore sighed. "Well... that might help explain some things."

"What d'ya mean? Wha' happened?"

Commodore Aldamae sighed and rubbed his temples. "I blame myself. We ran into some people, the Darcy's, who not only knew Tabitha's parents, but were old friends of mine. While Tabitha and the rest of the group went to talk to Charlotte, I went to the Darcy's home. It was right down the road from Charlotte's, and Tabitha had all of her friends with her, so I thought she'd be alright, but..."

"Wha'?" Silver asked worriedly. "Wha' happened t' her?"

"When they left and I met back up with them, Tabitha had fainted and - "

"The lass fainted?"

The commodore nodded. "And they all seemed very... put off about something. I thought at first Jim was just worried about Tabitha, but then he seemed angry. He kept questioning the story of what 'really' happened the night you saved Tabitha."

"What'd ya tell 'im?"

"Exactly the same story you told me! I don't know, Silver. Whatever Charlotte said to them... it's changed things. I'm so sorry. I never should have let them go alone."

Silver sighed. "Sooner or later it would 'ave 'appened, no matter what ya did."

"Why don't you just come back Silver?" Commodore Aldamae pleaded.

"Anthony, we been t'rough t'is," Silver told him. "I'm not comin' back. I don' wan' Ivan t' come between Tabby an' me."

"But that's what's happening anyway, isn't it?"

"Yes, but t'is way, 'e can't use me... again. I know it ain't a great plan..." he explained sadly. "But I jus' wanna make sure she's safe."

* * *

Tabitha stood out on deck, leaned against the edge, staring out at the galaxies and stars around them.

"Damn it," she mumbled to herself.

Not only was she freezing, but that damn feeling was back. That awful feeling that she hadn't felt in years. That one that told her she should be crying, but she couldn't.

She considered willing the tears to come, but stopped. She didn't want to cry. She'd spent a ridiculous amount of time crying since this all began, and she was sick of it. No, she'd hoped that she could go back to this, not being able to cry. She'd sure not crying at all would be better than crying all the time. Now that it was here and she was having to cope with the awful pressure, she wasn't so sure, but there was nothing she could do beside rub her chest and plead for the feeling to go away.

"Tabitha."

She turned around and came face to face with the commodore, who had suddenly appeared on deck. "Oh. Hello, sir."

"I didn't expect to see you up and about," he smiled.

"Yeah, well..."

"Could I speak to you for a moment?"

"I guess..."

He joined her side. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Not really."

"Nothing at all?" he verified. "Not whatever it was Charlotte or Ivan said? Or the nightmare you keep having?"

Tabitha didn't want to talk at all, much less now, much less about anything at all related to Silver or Ivan or her family or Jim...

"No..." she muttered unconvincingly. She continued to feel his gaze boring into her, but she ignored it, keeping her eyes focused on the constellations.

"Tabitha," he began tentatively. "I realize that we've only known each other a matter of days, but please understand that I'm here on behalf of Silver. Anything that you would tell him, you can tell me."

But what would she have told Silver? What was she supposed to say about all of this?

"I miss him." It was the easiest way to sum up what she wanted.

"I know," Commodore Aldamae said softly.

"He told me he wasn't going to leave this time, that he was going to stay..." she said more to herself than the commodore. "Did he tell you why he left? Did he give a reason?"

"Only that he was worried about what Ivan was planning."

"That doesn't make sense!" Tabitha shouted, pushing herself away from the edge of the ship and taking up pacing again. "If he was so worried about me, why didn't he stay to protect me?"

"That's what he's trying to do," Commodore Aldamae explained. "He knows first hand how devious and conniving Ivan can be, and he doesn't want anything to come between the two of you."

Yeah, Tabitha knew all about that. "Well, his leaving kind of creates a gap between us too, you know."

"I realize that," he tried to reason. "But a physical gap can always be mended, where as an emotional gap cannot. Silver already lost a girl he loved once because something, or someone, got in between them. He doesn't want to take any chances with losing you the same way."

"But why is he making me do this all on my own?" she slumped against the edge and sank down.

"You're hardly alone, Tabitha," he said kindly as he surprisingly took a seat too. "Even if you don't want to talk to me, you've got your friends, and Jim of course."

He knew immediately he'd said something wrong. It was as if the very air surrounding Tabitha had changed. She only had half of her friends, and... did she have Jim?

He sighed. "Tabitha, I'm not entirely sure of what's going on, but... I do want to help, in anyway I can."

Damn him and the mention of everything she didn't want to hear about right now. It wasn't his fault of course, but it still irritated her. The feeling overwhelmed her even more, so she simply nodded and turned away again. She couldn't explain things right now. She'd had enough of these awful explanations for one night.

Seeing it was a hopeless case, Commodore Aldamae patted her back once, then stood up and left her. Tabitha didn't move, she just stayed out on deck, freezing, until eventually she fell asleep.

* * *

Jim felt awful the instant Tabitha left the room. He should have been easier on her, but no. He let his emotions - his stress, his anger at Silver, the worry he still felt for Tabitha, his surprise that she didn't agree with him - get the best of him. He'd taken it out on her.

Cursing himself, he fell into a fitful sleep. Even in his sleep, his conscience was eating away at him. He had to do something. Hours of the awful tossing and turning later his mind gave up on letting him sleep, and he went to go find Tabitha, to apologize, to... to do something.

To promise to compromise.

It was easy enough to find her - laying out on deck, using her arm as a pillow. Part of his mind said wake her up and apologize - but he didn't want to risk starting another fight - part said carry her to bed - but he wasn't sure if she was still mad - part said just leave her - but she was alone, and shivering.

Settling for something in between, he did the only thing he really could do. He pulled off his jacket, knelt down, and gently laid it over her shoulders, his hand lingering a moment as he brushed her hair out of her face. Despite it's simplicity, it was a comforting gesture and apology rolled into one. Hopefully she would realize that.

Standing back up, he sighed and scratched his neck. He'd given up on sleep altogether for tonight, but he went back to bed anyway, if for no other reason than to be alone for a while so he could concentrate on working this all out.

* * *

Tabitha was cold. The sweat from earlier was easily cooled by the night air and she was wearing a thin shirt. And her head hurt from laying on the deck; she slid an arm under to use as a pillow. Only in the half-asleep stage, she knew she shouldn't wake back up. Some small part of her told her if she woke back up, she'd never fall back asleep.

And then she was warm. She welcomed the warmth, not bothering to care where it came from... but then there was that smell. That smell she recognized beyond a shadow of a doubt, that couldn't be mistaken for anything else. Sweat and soap and something else... Jim.

Finally, her mind woke her up and she realized she'd been right; his jacket was now laid across her. Feeling slightly comforted by the gesture, she sat up and pulled her arms into the sleeves. She stood up slowly and, after a moment of debating what to do, she left to find Jim.

She knocked quietly - no answer. Opening the door to their room, she found Jim already asleep. Now she was faced with the next choice - wake him up? Apologize? Thank him?

No. She laid down next to him. It was the easiest way of apologizing and saying thank you, without actually saying anything.

She wasn't going to fall asleep, but she closed her eyes anyway. Then the bed moved and her eyes shot back open.

Jim was sitting up, staring down at her. She didn't speak, and neither did he. He didn't look angry, he looked confused, as if he was trying to figure how he should feel about her being there. She stared back at him, her expression nervous and pleading. Jim's shoulders sagged as his face softened to that of something apologetic. Tabitha bit her lip. Jim laid back down, this time facing her.

Their gazes said everything: I'm sorry. I love you. We'll work this out. We're in this together...

Jim tentatively reached out between them and softly brushed his fingers right against the edge of Tabitha's hand. In return, she cupped her hand underneath his. Jim laced their fingers together, assuring them both of one thing:

We're in this together.

* * *

**Oh, the drama.  
But I had to end it on a somewhat hopeful note.**

**Leave more reviews! You know how much I love 'em :D  
**

**Thank you!  
-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**anon: Thank you! And I didn't think you were trying to rush me, I was just apologizing in general that it took so long. Sorry if I made it sound like that! I'm glad you like it!  
23jk: Well, there certainly are some surprises... Thanks! :)  
cookiesnmilk123: Haha Thank you so much! I'm glad you like them, and the story in general!  
HG 96: Thank you, as always!  
BloodAngelKisses: Wow, I don't think I could have written a better comment to be my 100th! Thank you so much! I'm really glad to hear that they seem so real. I have been trying to make it seem as accurate as possible. Well, as accurate as a story from the 1800's set in space could be XD I hope you continue to enjoy it, and good luck with your own story! I'll be sure to check it out when you post it! Oh, and pocky is SO GOOD!**


	30. The Darcys' Party: Part 1

**Sorry about the wait! First, I had an assignment due for my college class, then we got a snow day out of school, during which I twisted my wrist really bad when I fell, and my friend's mom is in the hospital so she's been spending the night with me... Ah! Anyway, I've updated now, and I've given you two chapters to enjoy!  
**

**I'm not entirely sure how I feel about these chapters, but I spent FOR-EV-ER working on them, and there was absolutely no way I was going to redo it... again. Parts of it I love, parts of it are okay... eh, I think I added too much, even though most of the events are relevant to future plot points.**

**Ah, well. I'll let my super fantastic reviewers be the judges :)  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

My ears picked up the sound of someone knocking on the door. _Of course, I finally manage to doze off, and it's morning._ I'd spent the whole night tossing and turning as my conscience ate away at me. Tabitha, too, it seemed was in the same boat. She kept changing her position and tossing the covers on and off, but I was unsure of if it was because she was still sick or because I was sleeping so restlessly or because she also felt bad about the fight -

The knock came again. I groaned as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and paced groggily across the room.

"Whoa, you like hell," Cason greeted as I swung the door open.

I rubbed my face to try and wake myself up. "Thanks."

"I need your help with something. Unless your busy..." he said, nodding to the form of Tabitha asleep on the bed.

"It's not like that," I said, my temper flaring up more than I'd meant it to.

He put his hands up defensively. "Sorry, I was just kidding. Why is she - "

"It's a long story," I sighed. I was not in the mood to go into detail about Tabitha's nightmares and the fight... "What do you need help with?"

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

In the end, going to sleep with Jim (if you could even call it sleeping) didn't really help. I tossed and turned and hovered in that hazy stage between sleep and cognizance and woke up drenched in sweat, with a pounding headache, and this disgusting feeling in the pit of my stomach. Jim hadn't been much better from what I could tell; I was aware of him shifting around a lot, tossing off the covers, rearranging his pillow, and when I woke up this morning, he wasn't even there.

Determined to talk to him, I slowly slid out of bed and stood up, only to be knocked back down. I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the room to stop spinning. I was lightheaded and my my body felt ten times heavier than usual. Deciding that waiting for him to return - rather than going off to find him and passing out on the way - was the smart choice, I laid back down, but it didn't help; it felt like my head was filled with water, though my mouth and throat were dry. I pulled the covers tightly up to my neck. Wishing that Jim would get back, now for both warmth and company, I closed my eyes, leaving me with nothing to do but think, about everything that had happened, everything that had been said, everything that still needed to be said...

I knew Jim was right - Ivan's story did fill that gap that Silver had left in his story. It made some sense, like why Ivan would have talked to Silver about the plan in the first place, and possibly what Silver was randomly doing at the spaceport when we'd bumped into him, but it didn't solve things by any means. If we believed that Ivan was telling the truth, that Silver really had only taken me in to get to my family's fortune (which, as much as I didn't want to admit it, made a lot of sense. Jim was right - he was a pirate; what were the chances he would have adopted me out of the kindness of his heart?), then it would only make sense to believe the rest of what Ivan had said - that he never actually made the plan to steal my family's fortune. And then if we believed that, then Silver's story no longer made any sense... and Ivan seemed like the logical candidate on who to trust.

So who was trying to pull the wool over who's eyes? If it was Silver, was the commodore working with him, or just for him, unaware of the plan as a whole? If it was Ivan, as I desperately hoped it was, was Charlotte involved with him, as I desperately hoped she wasn't? Why had Silver told Commodore Aldamae I was his daughter? And what about my family's fortune?

As much as I wanted to hit myself for even thinking about it, I just couldn't tear my thoughts away from it. It was what initiated all of this, and now I kind of wanted all these ups and downs we'd been going through to be worth it - I wanted to go find the fortune. I'd gone back and forth on the matter a million times, but after hearing about my parents, I felt even more indebted to them. This wasn't a small matter I could shake away; I had to do this.

I sighed as a whole new wave of questions hit me: If I did want to go find the fortune, how would that work? Who would come? Who could we trust? And would Jim want to go as well?

Jim. I had to talk to him. I could say that the reason I hadn't slept the night before was because I'd been ill, but I knew part of the reason was because of our fight. I had so many things I had to tell him, but he hadn't given me the chance.

Again, I decided that I would go find him. I had to see him. I was sure he hadn't been away from me for more than an hour at the most, but with how awful I felt, with how everything was going, with how much I needed to say, it might as well have been a lifetime. I sat up, immediately realized that was a huge mistake, and fell back against the pillows before my nausea could get any worse.

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

"How do you do it?"

As it turned out, Cason wanted my help in relationship advice. I tried to explain I was not the person to ask, but he insisted I was the only person who could help. He had a point - I was the only guy around that had a girlfriend other than him - but I was tired, and I wanted to fix my own relationship problems before I started on other peoples. Cason had apparently already apologized to Rylee, but he didn't feel anymore relieved. I carelessly suggested the idea of flowers, and now I was being held in a flower shop against my will. After a good half hour of wandering up and down the rows that lined the inside of a flower shop, Cason had finally managed to find iris sun's - the flowers he was pretty sure were Rylee's favorites. Now the question was what color.

"Do what?" I yawned.

"You and Tabitha! How are you guys just so perfect?"

"What?" I laughed incredulously. "We're nowhere near perfect. Look, what's Rylee's favorite color?" I asked, trying to aid him in making a decision on which flowers to buy.

"Well you're better at it then I am," he sighed. "And I already thought of that. It's green, and they don't have any."

"Yeah, and I've also had three years of practice," I explained. "Every couple has problems, especially at the beginning. Just pick some already."

"It's not that easy, okay? I'm trying to apologize to her. They need to be perfect."

"Okay, first of all, you already apologized, and second, Rylee's going to like anything you give her because she likes you. The fact that you even considered getting her flowers is probably enough to impress her."

"Yeah, easy for you to say," Cason scoffed. "I don't see you trying to buy flowers so you can apologize to Tabitha."

_Flowers... maybe that wasn't such a bad idea_.

"Really, have you guys _ever_ had a fight?" he continued bitterly.

"We had one last night actually..." I mumbled as a feeling of guilt swept over me. _Would Tabitha even like flowers? Um, hello - take your own advice. Tabitha will like anything you give her... hopefully._

"Oh," Cason said. "Sorry. Where are you going?"

"To get flowers for Tabitha."

As I wandered over to the next row and started to look, Cason continued with his questions. "So is that normal? To still feel bad after you apologize?"

I stopped. _Was that normal?_ "Uh, I guess so. I mean, if you really like her and you feel like you need to make it up to her, that makes sense."

Cason went quiet. I continued to pace past walls of flowers. _Could they not have organized these by color or something?_ Finally, I found the flowers I was looking for: flowers with long skinny petals that were a deep, indigo color, but faded into white as they got closer to the stem - tulililly's, and Tabitha's favorites.

"I do."

I turned to see Cason had finally decided on getting a combination of yellow and blue flowers. "Good idea," I gestured to the bouquet. "You do what?"

"I do like her. Really," he said as we made our way to the counter. He handed over some money to the cashier and sighed. "A lot."

I looked at him questioningly and paid for my own purchase. "What are you getting at?"

"I - " Cason scratched his head nervously, then sighed. "I'm really not cut out for this relationship junk."

I stared at him for a second. A debate played back and forth in my head on what he was trying to say. _He's worried about apologizing to Rylee, he spent about a half an hour trying to pick out the perfect flowers, I've never seen him this nervous before..._ I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

"What?" Cason he asked angrily.

"You're falling in love with her, aren't you?" I accused.

"What?! No! No, I - dude, I - " but he stopped when he realized I wasn't going to believe a word of it. "It's way too early."

I threw up my hands, but the smug smile I was wearing stayed in place. "Whatever you say."

We left the store and wandered up the street in silence, each absorbed in our own thoughts. Cason was right - it was early on in his relationship - but that didn't mean he wasn't falling fast. _I fell fast, hard, and early on for Tabitha. _We'd made it almost all the way back to the ship before either of us spoke again.

"How do you know?" Cason questioned as he abruptly stopped walking.

I halted too. "Know what?"

"That you... if you're in... if you love someone."

I smiled. _How many times had I asked myself that same question? Or better yet, how do you answer it?_ "You just do."

"But how did _you_ know?" he elaborated.

"I can't explain it, Case," I started to rub the back of my neck.

"When did you figure it out?"

"Well, I..." I laughed nervously. "I kind of always knew."

"Right from the beginning?"

"Well, no, not exactly. I just... Look, I really don't know how to explain what it's like. I just always had this feeling that we were.... that she was... that I... ugh, I don't know. I-I don't think I realized I was falling love with her until I'd actually fallen." That was the best way I could think to explain it. That's how it had happened; it just suddenly dawned on me one day that I was completely and hopelessly in love with Tabitha. "But you've got to remember Tabitha's the only girl I've ever dated. I didn't have anything to compare it to, so even when I thought I was in love, I was so young and new at relationships and stuff that I put off telling her. I knew, but I wanted to make sure I knew, you know?"

"Um, maybe...?" he said worriedly.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "All I'm trying to say is don't rush into it. If you are falling for her, you'll know soon enough."

"How long did you wait before you told Tabitha?" he asked, sounding more inquisitive rather than just seeking advice.

I scoffed at myself. "A long time. I must have wimped out a dozen times before I finally did."

"What?" he laughed at me.

"Let me put it this way - I've been genuinely and completely terrified twice in my entire life: Once was the first time I kissed Tabitha, the second was when I told her I loved her"

"This coming from the guy who fought off a gang of pirates and survived an exploding planet," Cason added skeptically.

"Yeah, well, telling Tabitha I loved her easily beat out both of those combined."

Cason smirked. "So is that why you haven't asked her to marry you yet?"

I spent several moments trying to sputter out an answer before finally sighing and giving in. "Graham told you, didn't he?"

"What?," Cason said in shock.

_Oh crap._ "Apparently not..."

"I was messing with you! You actually are?" he asked excitedly.

I smacked my hand against my forehead and sighed. "Yeah, I... yeah. I'm going to. In theory. If I wasn't so damn scared."

Still laughing, we boarded the ship and each set off in our own directions. As I entered our room, I was quickly overcome with exhaustion and remorse at the very sight of our bed and the girl laying in it. _Wait a second - our? Our room? our bed? Was it our? Isn't she just staying in my bed because of the nightmares? Does that make it our?_ I sighed, apparently louder than I'd realized, because Tabitha suddenly rolled over. I held my breath as I waited to see if I'd woken her up.

Her eyes fluttered open. "Jim?"

I released the breath. "Hey."

"Where were you?" she asked weakly.

"I, um... bought you some flowers," I explained as I walked over and sat down on my side of the bed. I inwardly rolled my eyes. _Oh, nice job, Jim. This isn't cliche at all._

Tabitha smiled despite that. "Really?"

"Um, yeah, I..." _Okay, here it goes._ "I am so sorry, Tabitha. I never should have yelled at you like that. You were already going through so much, and I should have been more supportive. I know what Silver is to you, and I sounded like I didn't care at all. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't sleep either," I rambled. She blinked, but said nothing. "A-and I'm sorry I forced you to tell me. I'd already told me you wouldn't have to, but I just couldn't take it anymore - I hate having to see you that upset."

"Oh," she whispered. "It's okay."

"You didn't have that nightmare again last night, did you? Because you were moving around a lot - "

"Oh, no, I didn't."

"Good because I-I was thinking about it, and I can't imagine what that must be like. Every night you have to see..." I had to stop and clear my throat. I really couldn't imagine having to watch Tabitha die night after night. I could say it was just a dream, but it wasn't. In Tabitha's case, it was no longer _just_ a dream. Anything that happened in them could represent some kind of truth. "You were already worried about losing me, and now... to have those nightmares on top of that... I couldn't... I don't think I'd be able to handle that as well as you have."

"Yeah, bursting into tears every night is handling it real well," she laughed halfheartedly.

I frowned, but didn't contradict her.

"I'm sorry," she said, avoiding eye contact with me.

"What? Why? You didn't do anything."

"Yes I did. I kept you awake last night because I was moving around so much and - "

"No," I stopped her. "The only thing that kept me awake was how guilty I felt."

"Then I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"I deserved to be yelled at."

"Then I'm sorry I told you about my dreams," she said. "But I'm kind of glad you know now, actually."

"I wish I could say the same..." I mumbled.

"Jim, I'm sorry. I could have at least told you calmly instead of in the middle of a fight. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it was my fault we were fighting in the first place," I said as I shifted closer to her. "And I'm not scared, I'm... concerned."

"Isn't that the same thing?" she giggled.

Her laugh brought an unstoppable smile to my face. "No, it's almost the same thing. Besides, you were right. I needed to know in case..."

I didn't finish the thought, but she knew what I meant_._

Her smile disappeared as she reached up and put a hand on my cheek. "Nothing's going to happen to you. It just... can't."

I kept my smile, but I knew it looked fake now. "You're right. I'll be fine."

We both knew it was a hollow promise. We had no idea what could happen.

I realized there was something weird about this whole conversation. I was still holding the flowers out to her, and she had only reached up to me... she still hadn't sat up.

"Are you alright?" I asked, suddenly very concerned.

"I'm fine," she answered, but looked away.

"No you aren't. You're still sick, aren't you? God, I've been sitting here this whole time just rambling away while you laid their feeling awful. I'm so sorry." _Way to be completely oblivious, Jim._

She laughed. "It's okay, really. I think I just need to eat something."

"Then I'll be right back," I said as I kissed her forehead.

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

I hadn't meant to send Jim off for me, but he was out of the room before I could say anything. I was grateful that I didn't have to get up, but at the same time I wished I had the ability to at least sit up on my own.

Jim returned a moment later carrying two glasses of water, some purps, and a half a loaf of bread. I couldn't help laughing as he tried to open and close the door while precariously holding everything. Eventually he managed to make it over to the bed.

"Here," he said as he passed me a glass of water.

"Thanks." _Great. Now comes the embarrassing part._ "Jim, I..."

He looked at me expectantly, but I couldn't finish the sentence. I couldn't bring myself to admit I was feeling completely incompetent.

Jim figured it out anyway. "Can you sit up?"

My face grew warm at having to ask for help with such a simple task. "I can, but it makes me feel really dizzy..."

Jim smiled and placed his own glass of water down. He gently helped me into a sitting position. Just like the other two times, my world began to blur before my eyes.

"Whoa," Jim said as he placed a hand on my shoulder as I began to sway. "Are you alright?"

_No._ Thankfully, I didn't have to say that. Jim positioned himself behind me so that I had secure surface to support me if I began to feel woozy.

"Here," he handed me one of the purps and a slice of bread.

"I'm not hungry," I replied. There was a difference between knowing you needed to eat and actually feeling up to it.

"It doesn't matter. You've got to get your strength back. I'm not going to let you faint again."

I took a small bite from the fruit.

"Are you still sick? Or just weak?"

"I don't know," I mumbled. I didn't want to be sick. I had too many other things to focus on without adding illness to the list.

"You're a doctor," Jim chuckled. "Shouldn't you know?"

"I still haven't figured out what was wrong with me yesterday, so I'm not sure"

Jim reached around and placed a hand on my forehead, "I don't think you have a fever." He grabbed my hand and pinched the skin on the back of it, "And you're not dehydrated. That's good, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're well."

He was so concerned, so caring. I knew he was just as tired as I was, and surely he must have been stressed out as well, and yet he was completely focused on me and how I felt. I couldn't stop the smile that broke across my face. Though the food was helping a little and I could gradually feel my strength returning, I leaned back and pressed my face against his chest.

"I had a sort of epiphany yesterday," I began. "About my parents."

"Really?"

"When Charlotte was telling me about my mom and dad... I realized that I've been wrong about what I wanted this whole time."

"What do you mean?" Jim asked.

"Well, you know how I kept saying I wanted to know about my parents? Well... I was wrong. I don't. I...I-I want to... actually know them."

Jim didn't say anything. _I'm probably not making any sense._

"I-I miss them. A lot. I mean, I've always missed them, but now I really, really do. This is... this is how you should feel when you lose your parents, but I've... never felt like this before." That stupid, stupid feeling was back - my chest was starting to ache. _Why? Why is it suddenly coming back now?_ I cleared my throat and shook it off. "Maybe it's only because I've... I've lost Silver as well - "

"Wait, stop right there," Jim interrupted. "You haven't 'lost' him. It's... temporary. You'll see him again."

_Yeah, if we can trust him._ "I hope so. Anyway, that's why whenever I head about them, I started crying. That day when Ivan was talking to me - "

"You mean when I asked if you were crying and you tried to hide it?" Jim said bitterly.

_Is he mad about that?_ "Sorry," I muttered quietly.

Jim sighed. "Why did you do that?"

"I - because, I..." _Why had I done that?_ "Because I didn't want to cry in front of you."

"Why not?" He sounded hurt.

"I-I don't know. At the time, I didn't understand why I was crying, and I couldn't talk about it, so I didn't... I didn't want you to worry about me."

Jim thought for a moment, then sighed. "You know, I worry about you more when you won't talk to me then when you do. It makes me think I've done something wrong."

"Oh." I'd never even thought about it that way.

"Well what did he say?" he continued.

"Just that I looked just like my mom, and that my parents loved me," I shrugged. "And then Mr. Darcy, when he said that my dad always complimented me, and then Charlotte... "

Suddenly, that feeling in my chest moved upward and I had to stop talking. I was standing on that fine line where if I said one more word, or even took one more breath, I would start crying.

Jim noticed that I'd tensed up and become silent "What? What is it?"

"I just miss them so much..." I whispered. I turned slightly so I could lay my face against his chest, expecting to start sobbing... but I didn't. My eyes only watered. Thank God, my body didn't seem willing to let me break down completely. It was only tears, no sobs, no hysterics, which I was thankful for. I'd lost track of how many times I'd burst into tears since all this began.

"I know. I know..." Jim consoled as he rubbed my arm comfortingly. "But look at the bright side - are you going to be well enough to go to the Darcy's tonight?"

I sighed. "Yeah, probably, but how is that a bright side? Getting dolled up to go to a party is the last thing I want to do."

"The people that will be there knew your parents, at least some of them did anyway. Maybe you'll be able to find out even more about them and you won't feel like you're at such a loss."

I thought it over, but didn't say anything. I wasn't entirely sure that just hearing more about them would help, but I was going to be stuck at that party either way. I might as well make the most of it.

"Besides, we have to go. At least this gives you something about it to look forward to," Jim finished.

I pulled back and grinned at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing. I was just thinking the same thing."

Jim smiled back and slowly leaned down to kiss me. When we separated and I fell back against his chest, I could hear his heart beating twice as fast as it had been a minute ago.

"I love you, too," I laughed as my eyes closed.

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

After Tabitha fell asleep, I shifted us both so that we were laying down and was thrilled to discover that Tabitha's head and arm stayed on my chest. With her so close, it was easy for me to drift off to sleep. I would have sworn I'd just closed my eyes when I was suddenly hit with a pillow.

"Jim! Jim, wake up!"

"Huh? What?" I muttered.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Morph squeaked.

"Come on, you've got to get ready," August explained.

"For what?" I asked in my sleepy haze.

"That the Darcy's invited us to a party? Remember?"

Morph turned into a party blower to illustrate and I groaned.

August laughed. "Come on, Tabitha will kill you if you make her late."

Sure enough, when I turned to look, Tabitha was gone, but had left my coat that she'd been wearing folded over the back of a chair. "Where is she?"

"Getting ready with Rylee," August explained.

I laughed when Morph transformed into a miniature version of Tabitha complaining as Rylee tried to do something to her hair. _Guess she was feeling well enough._

"Alright, I'm up," I said as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stretched.

"Well hurry up and get ready," August said.

"Hurry up! Get ready!" Morph chattered as he left the room with August.

It didn't take me any longer than usual to get ready, but it was enough time to get me thinking. As I put on my shirt, my thoughts, of course, drifted to Tabitha. Nothing in particular, just... her. Anything and everything about her, which of course pulled me into my next train of thought - proposing. I started to pull on my boots, and then suddenly, it hit me.

_Was tonight the night?_

It seemed nearly perfect - the timing was right, it was a special occasion, I was already going to be dressed up... but I still wasn't sure. I'd always pictured it would be more intimate, not with an audience of strangers. Even so, I decided it wouldn't hurt to be prepared. A bit frantic from a sudden burst of adrenaline, I nearly knocked myself to the ground as I stumbled across the room with one shoe on. I rushed over to my bag and delved down to the bottom to grab the box. I stared at it for a moment, took a deep breath, and pocketed it.

I quickly finished dressing and finally observed myself in the mirror. I brushed my fingers through my hair to make sure it was laying straight after my nap, then stopped. _What the hell are you doing? Just get up there already!_ I shook my head and headed up to the deck.

"Hey, wha - " I paused when I realized I was addressing only Cason, holding the flowers he'd picked out, and Commodore Aldamae. "Where is everybody?"

"The girls were taking a bit longer than expected, so I let the others go on without us," the commodore explained.

Just then, Rylee appeared on deck, dressed in a pale pink dress. I looked around, expecting to see Tabitha as well, but she wasn't there. Instead, I got to observe Cason's reaction, and had to stop the laughter that tried to escape. _If I look anywhere near as stupid as that when I see Tabitha, I'm surprised she's still agreeing to date me._ After a fair amount of time gaping at her, Cason's chest finally convulsed as it reminded him he needed to breathe.

"Y-you look, um..." he stumbled. "You're, um..."

I mouthed the word 'beautiful' to him over Rylee's shoulder.

"Beautiful! You look beautiful," he managed to say as I rolled my eyes. Though I'd been in the same position too many times to count, it was immensely funny to watch other people suffer the same way.

"Oh, thank you," Rylee blushed.

If Cason didn't know it, I did - he was definitely falling in love with Rylee. I'm sure he would have kissed her had the commodore not cleared his throat and broke their concentration. They both blushed and shuffled their feet nervously.

"Oh, here," Cason said as he handed the flowers over to Rylee.

"Oh!" she gasped.

"I wanted to get green since that's your favorite color, but they didn't have them, so I just got yellow and blue instead... I-I hope you like them."

Rylee smiled happily back up at him. "Of course! I love them. How did you know my favorite flower?"

Cason smirked. "I'm your boyfriend. I'm supposed to know."

She laughed, which made him smile. "Um, I'm going to go put these in my room. I'll be right back."

"Okay," Cason said.

"Hey, Rylee," I stopped her. "Tell Tabitha I said to stop primping and just get up here already."

"Alright," she laughed.

As soon as Rylee was out of sight, Cason suddenly stomped his foot and blurted out, "Ugh! Why does that happen?"

"What?" I asked.

"I always end up looking like an idiot around her," he said bitterly.

"Hate to break it to you, but that's not just around her," I joked.

"Oh ha ha. Laugh it up," Cason said sarcastically.

The commodore laughed and intervened. "It's not just you. Women tend to have that affect on the male population at large."

"No, it's just her!" Cason argued. "I've never been like this around other girls."

"Maybe because you're looking for something more than a fling with Rylee," I suggested.

"Well of course I am!" he snapped.

Commodore Aldamae stepped forward and placed a hand reassuringly on Cason's shoulder. "Relax."

Cason took a deep breath and released it slowly, just in time for Rylee to show back up. "She should be right up, Jim."

"Thanks," I mumbled as Cason took her hand and they headed off the ship.

I sighed and absentmindedly ran my fingers over the box in my pocket, debating the possibilities of the night.

The commodore coughed, drawing me out of my thoughts. He was wearing one of those smiles that suggested he knew something more than I did. "I think I'll head on as well, if that's alright with you."

_Is it that obvious?_ I swallowed. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

My mind began to race once again. I knew he'd left to give me a chance to propose now, but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to right now. _Wouldn't it make more sense to do it at the end of the evening? That way, I've got the entire night to lead up to it... _I started to pace. _Forget when - what about how? What am I going to say? Tabitha, will you marry me?... is that it? Shouldn't there be more? _

I was so lost in my train of thoughts that I didn't even notice Tabitha's arrival, not until she tapped me on the shoulder. I jumped back about a foot and she laughed at me.

"Sorry, I - "

My mind made the decision of when I would be proposing for me. The moment I laid eyes on her, I abruptly forgot how to talk. _Best to wait until the end of the night. Hopefully you'll have regained the ability to think straight by then. _

'Beautiful' was the understatement of the century. She had a dress I instantly recognized as one she borrowed from Rylee, though I'd have to say it looked way better on her... although my opinion is biased. It was a cream color, off the shoulders, and flowed straight down her body, showing off her curves in a tasteful way, and her hair had been pulled into a curled ponytail. She looked nearly ethereal.

She snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Hey!"

I snapped out of it. "I love how you can still do that."

"Do what?" she asked.

"Take my breath away," I smiled. "You look amazing - better than amazing, I just can't think of a word."

"Exquisite? Divine? Extraordinary?" she teased.

"All of the above," I laughed and took a deep breath to compose myself. If I was going to make it through the night alive, I was going to have to get a handle on my pulse rate. _Yeah, like that will ever happen._

Tabitha took a deep breath too. "Alright, let's get this over with."

She started to walk away, but, despite telling myself a thousand times I shouldn't do it because it caused problems, I acted on impulse and stopped her. I grabbed her hand and she spun around to face me. Before she could question the action, I stepped closer and kissed her. She stumbled back a couple of steps until she we bumped against the mast. I leaned against her, turning the kiss from passionate to demanding. Just when she got into it and started to wrap around her arms around my neck, I stopped and stepped away before I too got lost in it.

I shrugged, faking indifference over my erratic heartbeat. "I just wanted to get one more in while I still could. You know, before we're supposed to start acting dull and proper."

Tabitha looked completely stunned. I smirked, a bit smug that I'd managed to get that kind of reaction out of her; she'd certainly gotten it from me plenty of times. I held out my arm for her. She bit her lip and laced her arm around mine, blushing all the while.

Was tonight the night?

* * *

"Ah, Tabitha! And Mr. Hawkins! We were beginning to wonder if we'd ever see you," Mr. Darcy greeted as Tabitha and Jim entered the Darcy's home.

The party was already in full swing, and by the looks of it, it seemed the whole planet had managed to receive an invitation.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Tabitha said.

Mr. Darcy waved away the apology. "No matter. I believe the Bryne's were looking for you though. You may want to notify them of your arrival."

"Thank you, sir. We will," Jim answered as he and Tabitha made their way through the mass of people.

Tabitha surveyed the faces of everyone there, trying to keep a lookout for anyone they recognized, but the only thing she noticed was how many people were observing her as well.

"Don't be scared," Jim suddenly whispered.

"Huh?"

"You're squeezing my arm."

"Oh, sorry!" Her grip had tightened on his arm without her even noticing she was doing it. "It's just that everyone's looking at us."

"Not _everyone_," Jim laughed. "That guy isn't - oh. Nevermind, he is now."

"Tabitha!"

She spun around and came face to face with Charlotte.

"Oh, we were worried you wouldn't be able to make it!" she cried as she swept Tabitha into a hug.

"Oh, um," Tabitha stuttered, taken aback by the gesture. "No, we were simply running a little late."

"So you are feeling better today then?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, much better. Thank you," Tabitha replied.

"Good. Ivan and I were rather worried about you," she smiled. "Now, if it isn't too much trouble, I know some people that will be thrilled to meet you, and you as well, Jim. May I call you Jim?"

"Oh, um, sure," he said. "Yeah, everyone else does."

"Wonderful! Follow me."

Tabitha and Jim followed Charlotte through a couple of rooms before finally approaching a group of people.

"Oh my goodness! Is this her?" one of the women in the group questioned as soon as they walked up.

"Of course it's her! She looks exactly like Melody!" the man that was escorting the woman answered.

"Except for her eyes. She has her father's eyes," another man added as he surveyed Tabitha.

Charlotte laughed. "Yes, this is her - Miss Tabitha Alexander. Tabitha, this is Lord and Lady Renaldi, and Sir Eddington."

"How do you do?" Tabitha greeted as the others nodded politely at her.

"And this young man is Captain James Hawkins," Charlotte continued.

Jim silently thanked her for using his title in the introduction since he was apparently up against nobility.

"Captain?" Lady Renaldi repeated in surprise.

"Yes, ma'am," Jim replied, trying to sound more at ease then he felt.

"You seem quite young to be a captain," Sir Eddington added almost skeptically.

"Well, I am, I guess," Jim shrugged. "I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen... " Lord Renaldi repeated in awe. "That's quite an accomplishment."

"Thank you, sir," Jim answered. "I've certainly worked hard for it."

"So all the other young men in uniforms must be with you then?" Sir Eddington questioned.

"Yes, sir. Our best friends and our crew," Jim smiled.

"Tabitha!" Tabitha turned around again and came face to face with Ivan. "Oh good, Charlotte found you."

"Yes, I was just introducing her to some of her parents friends," Charlotte replied.

"I'm so glad you were able to make it," Ivan smiled. "And you as well Mr. Hawkins."

"Thanks," Jim said nervously, unsure of the man's sincerity.

"I have a few people to introduce you to myself. Would you mind terribly?" Ivan said as he offered his arm out for Tabitha to take.

"Um, I suppose not," she said as she released Jim's arm and locked on to Ivan's instead.

Before Jim had any time to protest or question the action, the man had whisked her away, leaving Jim completely clueless as to where to go or what to do.

"Our?" Sir Eddington suddenly said.

Jim turned to him confusedly. "I... um, sir?"

"You said 'our' - 'our crew'. What did you mean?"

All four adults looked at Jim, curious about the statement as well. He swallowed. "Oh, I, um... Well, the ship we're on actually belongs to me and Tabitha. It was a graduation present from my mom." The adults all nodded in understanding, but said nothing. "Um, and Tabitha's actually the ship's doctor - "

"Doctor?" Lord Renaldi repeated, turning on Charlotte. "You never said anything about her being a doctor!"

"I was unaware as well," she said in surprise. "She is, really?"

"Yeah! Oh, erm, yes," Jim said, a bit over-eager about the chance to brag about his girlfriend. "She graduated Valedictorian of the Interstellar Academy of Medicine."

"Heavens..." Lady Renaldi said in awe.

"That's quite a remarkable girl you've got, Captain Hawkins," Sir Eddington winked at him.

Jim chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Yeah, she is..."

* * *

Just over an hour into the party and Tabitha was already wishing she could just go back to the ship. She'd been pulled from one person to the next, being flaunted as if she were a celebrity. She was introduced to so many people so quickly that she didn't manage to grasp on to a single person's name, which made her wary of coming face to face with any of them again and being expected to remember precisely who they were. Not only that, but now that Jim was lost amongst the crowd of somewhat strangers, she was feeling rather self conscious about her appearance; this was not her element at all. She'd had to borrow 'appropriate' shoes from Rylee, and not only were they too small, but the dress was fairly long, so it was taking all of her concentration not to trip and embarrass herself in front of the entire party. All eyes were on her; the last thing she needed was to end up looking like a klutz in front of everyone.

So now she stood with Ivan and two other men - who's names she had already lost track of - as they jabbered away about her parents. She tried to focus on what they were saying, but she kept losing track of it when her own nervous thoughts interrupted.

"Now, Tabitha, - " one of the men began, bringing Tabitha back to the conversation at hand. "Is it true that you're as good a singer as Melody was?"

"I... I don't quite know, sir," she said quietly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I heard it through the grapevine that you were a great singer," the other man answered.

"Is it true?" Ivan inquired.

"Oh, well, I, um, I-I suppose..." she stuttered nervously. "I mean, I-I've been told... but I - "

"Well then you must sing something!" the first man proposed.

"Oh yes, my dear," Ivan agreed. "I'm certain everyone would love to hear you."

Tabitha blanched. "Oh, no, really, I don't - I'm not - I can't - "

"Nonsense!" the second man disregarded her stuttering.

"Oh, but..." but she couldn't think of an excuse. Tabitha opened her mouth, trying to figure out how to flat out refuse. There was no way she had her nerves together enough to sing in front of a group of complete strangers.

"Oh, Bryne. What is it you're begging for this time?"

Tabitha swallowed nervously as William entered the scene. He was smiling, but the tone of his voice suggested something a bit more fierce than that.

Ivan merely laughed. "I was only asking Tabitha to sing."

"We've heard she's a wonderful singer," the second man added.

Tabitha found herself silently pleading to William to save her. He looked directly into her eyes and broke into a smile. "I'm sure she's already feeling overwhelmed from all the attention she's received thus far. Is it really fair to force her to attract more?"

"Ah, I suppose not," the first man said disappointedly.

"Yes, you're right," Ivan said bitterly. "Another time, perhaps?"

"We shall see," Tabitha sighed in relief.

Satisfied with the reply, the three men walked off - though not before Ivan and William stared at each other for a second longer than was required - leaving Tabitha alone with William.

"Thanks for that," she mumbled.

"Not at all," he smiled. "Where is Jim?"

"Oh, he's... around," she said worriedly as she searched the crowd for him.

William didn't take his eyes off of her. "You look ravishing tonight, Tabitha."

She blanched. Not only had he used her first name, but the comment was... unexpected, to say the least. "Oh, I... thanks. Er, thank you."

Silence fell between them for a moment, but Tabitha hardly noticed. She only wanted to find Jim, or at the least Rylee or one of their other friends. She'd caught a few glimpses of them through the night, but hadn't had the chance to speak to any of them.

"May I interest you in a dance, Miss Alexander?" William questioned.

"Oh." Could she turn down a dance after he'd just saved her from utter embarrassment? "No, thank you. I-I'm not much of a dancer."

"I hardly believe that," he laughed.

"Well, it's true, and as I'm sure you don't wish for me to humiliate us both, I'll just be going now. If you'll excuse me - "

Tabitha left as quickly as she could without tripping on her skirt. She passed through several rooms, still not seeing anyone she was familiar with, and finally stopped at the punch bowl. She poured herself a glass and quickly drank it. She started to pour herself another glass, but stopped when she considered that this probably had some amount of alcohol in it. The last thing she needed was to be tipsy on top of everything else. Sighing, she discarded her cup and started to walk away until someone grabbed her hand. She gave a little yelp as she jumped around and found Jim looking amused about her reaction.

"Sorry, I'm nervous," she explained.

"Yeah, I can tell," he laughed. "So how has being escorted by Ivan been?"

Tabitha knew what he meant. She'd been keeping an eye out for anything odd about him, but nothing had turned up. As much as Tabitha didn't want to admit it, Ivan seemed perfectly nice.

"Fine," she said noncommittally. "Not nearly as great as being escorted by you would be, though. He's been pulling me around so quickly that I haven't even had time to bring up my parents, unless people say I look just like my mother, except I have my father's eyes. All I've heard is introductions to a hundred different people, and I can't remember any of their names. Not only that, but I've spent the entire evening trying not to fall down. My shoes are too small and this dress is so long that I keep thinking I'm going to trip and make a fool of myself in front of the entire party."

Finally, she finished ranting and sighed. Jim surveyed her reaction and reached for her other hand.

"Hey, look at me," he smiled and she complied. "You're Tabitha Renee Alexander. You've survived a pirate mutiny, an exploding planet, and solar surfing. You can handle a party."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

She smiled and sighed. "You're right. It's just all this attention - "

"Er, yeah, sorry, I might have had a little something to do with the attention..." Jim admitted. "I've spent nearly the entire night talking about you."

Tabitha smiled for a moment, but it quickly faltered when she realized something. "Wait... did you tell someone that I could sing?"

"Yeah, I've mentioned it a couple of times to - "

Tabitha swatted his shoulder. "Don't tell people that! I almost had to sing in front of the whole party."

"Sorry," he apologized. "But you're a great singer."

Tabitha softened. "You've really spent the whole night talking about me?"

"Well, that and explaining how it is I ended up as a captain at eighteen," he shrugged.

"Start talking more about you then," she insisted. "Tell them about Treasure Planet."

Jim chuckled. "You actually play a major roll in that story as well." She rolled her eyes as he pulled her a little closer. "Hey, can you blame me for wanting to brag about how amazing my girlfriend is?"

Before Tabitha could say anything, Mr. Darcy suddenly appeared at their side. "Tabitha, might I steal you away for a moment? There are a few more people I'd like you to meet."

"Oh, yes, I suppose" Tabitha sighed, but as she turned back to Jim, she looked obviously disappointed. Back in Jim's presence once again, she'd finally started to relax, but that was over now.

"I'm sorry to rob you of her presence, Hawkins," Mr. Darcy said.

Jim grinned. "It's alright. I can't say I blame you at all for wanting to have her around."

Mr. Darcy laughed heartily. "I promise to bring her back soon and you'll be welcome to spend the rest of the evening with her if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much," he said, directing the comment more to Tabitha than to Mr. Darcy. Then, before she could be led away again, he tugged on her hand to pull her closer to him, put his mouth next to her ear and whispered. "I love you. You look beautiful tonight."

He released her hand and pulled back to see Tabitha's face lit up. She stood a little straigher as the man pulled her to the next group of people she was to be introduced to, leaving Jim to admire her from afar. Jim could already tell she felt more confident. When she glanced across the room and smiled at him though, all he could do was laugh to himself and rub the back of his neck.

"So you're the famous Captain Hawkins then?"

Jim turned around and came face to face with a girl a good bit shorter than him, though she appeared to be about his age in every other way. She had, er, developed well, a fact Jim probably wouldn't have noticed has she not been flaunting it so openly. Her dark red dress fell extremely low across her chest. Her black hair was pulled up on top of her head and she wore a ridiculous amount of makeup. Jim couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her - other than her looks - that made her wholly unattractive.

"I don't know about famous, but yeah, I'm Jim Hawkins," Jim greeted nervously.

"Oh, don't be so modest!" she smiled. "Maybe not a lot of people here on Lacuna have heard about your voyage to Treasure Planet, but I certainly have."

"How?"

"I have my ways," she said coyly.

Jim realized what it was about her that made him uneasy - it was her expression. The determined look in her eye verses her sly smirk combined into something Jim wasn't really comfortable with.

"So tell me. Is it all true?"

"I, uh... it depends on what you've heard."

"Pirates? A mutiny? John Silver? An exploding planet?" she asked, stepping closer out of excitement.

"Um, yep, that about sums it up," Jim answered, stepping back out of nervousness.

"You must be very brave. I'd love to hear the whole story some time," she smiled and batted her eyelashes at him and stepped even closer.

Jim tried to step back but found himself backed against the wall as it was. "Well, i-it's a long story - "

"Oh, I've got all the time in the world," she said. She took one more step closer, completely filling the gap between the two of them.

Jim swallowed, now entirely uncomfortable with the situation. "Well, at the moment, I don't, so if you'll just excuse me - "

He moved around her and made his way as quickly as possible to anywhere but there.

* * *

Tabitha watched with interest from across the room as a girl blatantly - _very_ blatantly - flirted with Jim. Tabitha started off as amused, but quickly felt her temper flare up when the girl moved entirely too close to him. Even Tabitha wouldn't get that close to Jim in such a public setting, and this girl didn't even know him! It lasted only a second though before Jim pushed past her and got away as quickly as possible. Tabitha, however, continued to glare daggers at the girl, just hoping she would turn around and make eye contact.

She suddenly understood why Jim had been so jealous about William.

* * *

**Yeah, kind of an awkward stopping place, but the next chapter's already there - no wait!**

**Keep on reading :)**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**+NeverTooLate03: Indeed, Girl Scout cookies are amazing :D Thank you so much! I worked so hard on that scene, so I'm really, really glad it came across well. Also, is it wrong of me to say that I am so unbelievably happy that I've gotten you addicted to my story? Because I am! That's an amazing compliment! Thank you so much. Oh, and don't worry - you'll find out about Abby when the time comes :) And thanks for the offer! I do go through periods where I struggle with ideas, so I may take you up on it!  
+BloodAngelKisses: Hmm, bittersweet maybe? That's kind of what I was shooting for. Feel free to tell me you love my story as much as you want; I don't think I could ever get tired of hearing that! Er, yeah, I actually did watch this movie WAY too many times to count (partly because of my story, partly because I'm kind of sort of obsessed XD), and I actually listened to the dialogue of the movie when I was writing it up. It's uploaded on YouTube by the way, if you want to watch it! And the parts I wasn't sure about, I found a script and verifed. So yeah, I was pretty thorough :D As far as your P.S.'s go: I'll check that out, I'm glad you did, thanks again, and no you aren't :D  
+anon: Thanks!  
+cookiesnmilk123: I know, I know - Ivan and Silver... I promise it will all come together in the end. Hope I didn't turn you off!  
+23jk: Whew! You've got that right. A lot of back and forth writing. Thank you!  
+Horsygirl 96: I know. I realized their relationship was getting a bit too sappy - it needed some drama. I'm glad you liked them making up too though! Thank you :)  
+Malisa: Wow, thank you! I'm glad you think it's that great!  
+Manders.x.x: 90 Chuck Norris Points? I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I am excited by it nonetheless! Beautiful? D'aww... thank you :)**


	31. The Darcys' Party: Part 2

**Part 2 of the party!**

**Anon: There's something in this chapter for you :)  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mr. Darcy's idea of 'soon' ended up being over another hour, and even then Tabitha had to practically sneak away during one of his lengthy conversations with Lord so-and-so or Duke of Blah-Blah-Blah. She was lucky enough to run into Landon, Rylee, and Cason almost right off the bat.

"Hide me quick," she said as she approached them.

Cason laughed. "That bad, huh?"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it."

"Actually, we do," Rylee said. "We've been getting hassled endlessly just because we know you. I'm sure what you've been doing is way worse, though. I feel so sorry you."

"Thanks," Tabitha replied.

Another song began, a waltz, and Cason turned to Rylee. "May I have this dance?"

Rylee could only giggle as they walked, hand in hand, out to the dance floor for what Tabitha was confident was not even close to the first time that night. She rolled her eyes and laughed before turning back to Landon... who still hadn't said anything. She stared at him for a second, then followed his gaze to across the room where a group of four girls were chattering with each other.

Tabitha laughed. "Which one?"

Landon blinked and turned to her. "What?"

"It's the red-head isn't it?"

Landon opened and closed his mouth, trying to form words, before sighing and turning back to look at the group.

"She's very pretty," Tabitha said earnestly. The red-head in question had bright, fiery, orange-red natural curls that fell to her shoulders. When the girl turned her head in their direction, Tabitha could see that her bright green dress brought out the green of her eyes.

"She's gorgeous..." Landon breathed.

Yet again, the girl glanced directly at them. Tabitha laughed and pushed Landon forward. "Go on. Ask her to dance."

"What? No!" Landon quickly stumbled back again. "I can't talk to her."

"You can talk to me," Tabitha teased.

Landon narrowed his eyes at her. "I know you."

"If you would talk to her, you could get to know her."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed.

"Come on, you aren't shy! If I recall, you were one of the people to introduce yourself to me at the academy," she told him.

He laughed nervously. "I didn't feel this way about you. No offense."

"None taken," Tabitha laughed. "You're not my type anyway."

"What's your type?" Landon asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the girl in green.

"Um, Jim."

They both laughed, but Landon's sights quickly drifted back to the girl.

"If you don't go over there, I will."

He blanched. "No. You wouldn't."

"Oh, you think so?" she asked. "Well just wait."

"No, please - no. Tabitha!" Landon pleaded as she sat off in a brisk pace across the room.

As she approached the group, they abruptly stopped talking and turned to look at Tabitha.

She smiled. "Hi, I'm Tabitha Alexander - "

"Oh, of course. We know who you are," one of the other two girls said.

"Oh, right," Tabitha said. "Anyways, I'm actually here on behalf of a friend."

At this the girl in green's eyes lit up. "You are?"

Tabitha smiled broadly. "Yes. In fact, if you wouldn't mind, would you please follow me."

"Um..." the girl stated nervously as she glanced around at her friends.

Tabitha didn't give her friends time to talk her out of it though. She grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her across the room to Landon, who was now anxiously pacing around in a circle. When he saw Tabitha dragging the girl of his dreams back to him though, he froze dead in his tracks.

"What's your name?" Tabitha asked.

"I-I-Isabelle," she stuttered, unsure of how she should feel about this set-up.

"Well, Isabelle," Tabitha smiled as they stopped in front of Landon. "This is Landon."

Landon didn't move. Tabitha snapped her fingers in front of his face and he blinked back to life, blushing dark red.

"Landon this is Isabelle," Tabitha continued.

"I-I-I'm Landon."

"I just said that," Tabitha smirked.

"Oh, right! You did. Right."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Landon wants to dance with you."

Isabelle's face lit up. "Really?"

Tabitha turned back to Landon and raised her eyebrows expectantly, waiting for him to say something.

"Oh, um," he cleared his throat. "Y-yeah. That is, if you don't mind. If you don't want to, you don't have to, but I just saw you and you were very pretty - I mean are! You still are pretty! - and so I just thought maybe..."

Isabelle laughed quietly, placing a hand over her mouth shyly.

Landon sighed. "I've just made a complete fool of myself, haven't I? Never mind. Of course you don't want to dance with me. I'll just be going now."

Tabitha scoffed as Landon actually started to leave. Isabelle turned to Tabitha for help. Tabitha nodded in Landon's general direction.

"I-I'd love to!" Isabelle said, a little louder than she'd meant because several people turned to look at her. Luckily, one of those people was Landon.

"You... you would?"

She blushed and nodded, avoiding his gaze.

"Really?" Landon said happily as he walked back over to her. "Oh, I mean, um, thank you, that's... thank you."

Tabitha laughed to herself as she watched them walk off. Suddenly finding herself alone for the first time that night, she wasn't entirely sure what to do other than find Jim. She wandered through the house, returning smiles to people. When she turned a corner and spotted both Mr. Darcy and Ivan in the same room, she stepped back and quickly rushed in the opposite direction. She got away, but not before she tripped on the front of her dress - as she'd feared she would all night - and fell to the floor.

"Oh," she gasped as she didn't hit the ground, but a person's chest instead. "Oh, I'm so sorry - William!"

William laughed. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes. Yes, I'm fine," she said as she righted herself.

She straightened up and brushed a few stray pieces of her bangs out of her face. Immediately, she noticed that William's hands were lingering far too long around her waist. She felt the blood rise to her face, but before she could speak, he released her.

"Forgive me, but you seem a bit flustered," he began. "Are you quite sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just embarrassed."

William laughed. "I'm fairly certain I was the only person who saw you fall, and I swear never to tell a soul."

"Thank you," Tabitha smiled.

"Would you care to join me outside for some fresh air?"

Tabitha sighed; fresh air actually sounded wonderful at the moment. "Yes, please."

He led her out to the porch and she froze on the threshold of the door. She'd expected there to be a porch, like another room, filled with more people milling about. There was a porch... but it was deserted except for them.

"Is everything all right?" William questioned when she stopped walking.

"Um, yes. Sorry," Tabitha apologized as she stepped out. "Thank you, by the way. That's twice tonight you've saved me."

William laughed. "Not at all. It was my pleasure. After all, how else was I going to get to hold you in my arms tonight?"

Tabitha blanched. "You know, on second thought, I think I'd rather be back inside," she said hastily. "I'm pretty thirsty and - "

William grasped her hand. "Tabitha, please."

Tabitha didn't no what he was asking her for, but she was definitely uncomfortable with it, with this, with him, and she had no idea what to do.

"How long are you planning to stay here?"

"A few more days, tops," she answered quietly.

"Tabitha, if I may be so bold," he said as he grabbed her other hand as well. "What if you didn't leave?"

"What?"

"Why don't you stay here on Lacuna?"

"No, I can't. Jim's got a home back on Montressor. We - "

"I'm not talking about Jim," William snapped.

Tabitha swallowed. This conversation was not going to end well.

"You belong here, Tabitha. This is your home."

"Jim is my home," Tabitha insisted. "I belong with him. I'm sorry, but I..."

But what? She had no reason to apologize. She pulled out of his grasp and started to walk away.

"What do you see in him anyway?"

Tabitha halted. "What?"

"He's nothing. His mother owns - what? A simple restaurant?"

"It's an inn," Tabitha explained bitterly.

"I've heard he's had more than a few run ins with the law," William continued as if she hadn't spoken. "A criminal? You could do so much better than that."

"With who?" Tabitha shouted. "Someone like you? A pretentious, narcissistic egotist?"

"Better an egotist than a fool."

Tabitha took two steps back and slapped him across the face. "Don't..."

She had no idea what she was telling him not to do, only that she'd never despised someone so much before, and anything he said was sure to be enough to push her over the edge.

She had to get out of there. She wanted to go home. Not this home, her childhood home, but her real home. She started to leave, but William grabbed her wrist. She tried to jerk away, but his grip was tight. Fear and rage fought for a place as Tabitha suddenly went into fight or flight mode. Years of academy training on how to defend herself rushed through her mind, but one look into his eyes made her blank on all of it. This was real, not a graded training session.

Before either of them had time to do anything, there was a voice at the door.

"Excuse me?"

They turned to see Ivan anxiously observing the situation that lay before him. Tabitha didn't know what to do; Ivan being there sent another wave of worry through her and she was stunned for good

Slowly, he walked over to them. "Is there a problem here?"

William had enough sense to release Tabitha. "Not at all."

Ivan glared at him, then turned to look at Tabitha. Her jaw had dropped and her eyes were wide with terror, but she said nothing.

"We were only talking," William added.

"And since when does 'talking' involve you laying a hand to her?" Ivan said menacingly as he stepped closer to William.

His eyes narrowed. "Step away, Bryne. This is not your place."

"She's my godchild, and if you intend to harm her, then my place is between you."

Tabitha took a step back. Ivan was rescuing her, defending her, refusing to let her be hurt. He could have walked on by, pretended he never saw anything, but he didn't. He came to help her.

"What's going on here?" Mr. Darcy said as he too entered the scene, followed closely by Commodore Aldamae.

Commodore Aldamae took one look at the group before him, then stepped down and positioned himself between Ivan and Tabitha. Tabitha tried to say something to him, to let him know that Ivan was not at fault, but her mouth wasn't working.

"There's been a misunderstanding - " William began.

"Misunderstanding, indeed!" Ivan shouted. "Your son here was threatening Tabitha."

Mr. Darcy gazed at all of them, then laughed. "I'm sure you're mistaken."

"I am not. I found him with his hand clasped around Tabitha's arm."

"I intended her no harm," William insisted. "It was a simple disagreement."

"See?" Mr. Darcy said nervously. "A simple disagreement."

"A disagreement does not involve you touching her in anyway," Ivan argued.

They all glared at each other while Tabitha stood to the side, completely confused and clueless as to what to do. As if the tension wasn't thick enough already, Jim and Graham suddenly walked by the door, laughing at some joke made between the two of them. Their smiles left the instant they saw the group out on the porch. Jim looked between all of them - William, Ivan, Commodore Aldamae, then Tabitha - focusing mostly on Tabitha's fearful look. Jim was unsure of who to blame for that look, but his instincts told him Ivan or William

If looks could kill, they would have both been dead a hundred times over.

As much as Jim wanted to make assumptions and accuse someone, he didn't know what had happened. Instead, he settled for walking over and standing at Tabitha's side. He grasped her hand, but kept his eyes focused on the men. She squeezed his hand tightly, saying 'thank you' and 'I'm scared'.

"Come, William," Mr. Darcy ordered, observing the defensive positions everyone near Tabitha had suddenly taken.

William kept glaring silently at Ivan.

"Now," his father insisted.

William stormed off into the house, closely followed by his father.

"What did he do to you?" Jim and the commodore asked the instant the door closed.

"Please calm down," Ivan asked. "She's fine."

"I'll be the judge of that," Commodore Aldamae said.

"Who exactly are you?" Ivan questioned.

"Commodore Aldamae," Graham said as he too approached the group. "He's traveling with us on behalf of Silver."

Ivan's jaw dropped, but he quickly covered it up. "Oh, he is?"

"Yes. I am," Commodore Aldamae said darkly.

The two men observed each other suspiciously, but said nothing. Jim could not have cared less about them at the moment.

"Are you alright?" Jim questioned Tabitha again. His question brought everyone back and they all turned to look at her.

"I-I'm fine," Tabitha said unconvincingly.

"What happened?" Jim over-enunciated.

Tabitha retold the story to them. Ivan and the commodore looked a bit more relaxed, Jim looked furious, but Graham just laughed.

"You slapped him?" he asked her. "Nice going!"

Tabitha smiled worriedly.

Jim shook his head. "I can't believe he said..." he sighed heavily and started to pace.

Tabitha put a hand to his chest to stop him. Jim did and looked down at her anxiously. She took a deep breath and fell against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. The others dismissed themselves, leaving the couple alone.

"I shouldn't have come out here with him," Tabitha said.

"He shouldn't have..." Jim sighed angrily again and shook his head.

"Let's not think about it," Tabitha suggested.

"He might have hurt you!" he argued. "How am I supposed to not think about that?"

Tabitha kissed him. It took him a minute, but eventually he relaxed and kissed her back.

"Okay, that might be enough of a distraction," Jim whispered. "But I thought we weren't supposed to kiss in public?"

"I could not care less," Tabitha replied.

Jim laughed quietly and kissed her again. Tabitha wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist and pulled her to him. She leaned against him, feeling completely relaxed for the first time that day.

Jim rocked her back and forth slightly. Then his movements became more pronounced and Tabitha realized he was moving in time to the music drifting outside. He took one of her hands, but kept the other on her waist and slowly started to spin with her. Tabitha smiled and adjusted her position slightly to make the dance easier.

"What are you doing?" she laughed.

"Well, I know you don't like to dance, so I thought maybe if I eased you into it, you wouldn't notice," he grinned.

He spun her out and slowly back into him.

"You thought I wouldn't notice that?" she asked.

Jim laughed and spun her again. "Maybe not."

They continued their dance on the starlit porch until the music halted and Tabitha ended the dance being dipped backwards by Jim.

"I knew you were worrying to much about your dress," Jim smirked.

Tabitha laughed as he pulled her back up... and she stepped on the edge of her dress. There was a loud rip and they both froze.

"Okay, I might have spoken too soon," Jim said nervously. "How bad is it?"

"I can't tell," Tabitha groaned. "Rylee's not going to be happy."

"I'm not going to be happy about what?" Rylee asked as she suddenly appeared on the porch.

"I-I ripped your dress. I'm so sorry."

"Bad?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I can't see," Tabitha answered.

"Well come inside and I'll look at it."

Tabitha obeyed and stepped inside. They quickly found the short tear that had started to run up the side of the dress.

"Oh, it's not that bad at all. I needed to get that dress hemmed anyway, so it won't even show."

"Blame Jim. He jinxed me," Tabitha teased.

"Hey!" Jim said in playful anger.

Rylee laughed. "Come on. We'll go to the dressing room and try to mend it temporarily.

Tabitha headed in and sat on one of the big plush chairs while Rylee looked around in search of something to mend the dress with.

"So you're alright aren't you?" Rylee suddenly asked. "That's why I came out there. Graham told me what happened."

"Other than being pissed off at William, yeah, I'm fine."

Rylee laughed just as another group of four girls came tumbling in, all of whom Tabitha recognized. One was Isabelle, three were the friends she had been talking to, and one was the girl in red that had flirted with Jim.

"I don't think I could dance another moment," Isabelle said.

"I hardly believe that," one of her friends said slyly. "As soon as you walk out that door, that boy will sweep you back out into another dance and you'll be laughing it up again."

"I suppose," Isabelle sighed. "But I'd rather be doing something other than dancing with him."

"Isi! How scandalous," another girl spoke up.

She blushed, but narrowed her eyes angrily. "I meant I'd rather be _talking_ to him."

"Sure you did," a fourth girl added jokingly.

"Oh, you're all hopeless," Isabelle sighed. "Excuse me for wanting to actually carry on an intelligent conversation before I'm throwing myself at a man."

"He's already smitten with you. What else do you need?" the third girl asked.

Isabelle sighed. "Never mind."

The second girl shrugged. "Well, I for one am completely content on dancing the night away with Graham."

"And I as well. I rather enjoy August's company," the fourth girl added.

"You dimwit," the third girl smacked her arm. "You've been dancing with Theodore. I've been dancing with August."

"Oh..." she said. "Well, either way, I like him."

"I can't find safety pins or anything," Rylee sighed.

"The boys have all been dancing?" Tabitha whispered, completely overlooking the previous statement.

"Oh, yeah, big time. They've been flirting it up out there."

"You're all missing the bigger picture," the girl in red spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Isabelle asked.

"Can't you see? It's that Hawkins boy who's eye you should be attempting to catch."

Rylee noticed Tabitha tense. "Just ignore them."

"Only one problem there," the fourth girl rolled her eyes. "He's already seeing someone."

"Yeah, I heard it was pretty serious," girl number three added. "They've been dating for, like, forever."

"So what's a little competition?" the floozy said. "It only makes the game all the more fun."

"Don't get angry with them..." Rylee urgently whispered to Tabitha.

Tabitha stopped grinding her teeth and relaxed as a devious smile spread across her face. "I'm not angry."

"Oh, boy..." Rylee said worriedly.

"Well he does seem to have a decent upbringing," Isabelle stated.

"And he's captain of his own ship," girl number 2 added.

"Not to mention he's devilishly handsome," the girl in red smirked.

Tabitha, who had gone unnoticed by the girls until then, suddenly turned to face them. "I agree. He is quite charming. In fact, I think I'd like to go dance with him now."

If Jim could flaunt that he was dating the mysterious Alexander girl, then she could certainly show off that she was dating the dashing Captain Hawkins.

The girl in red looked her up and down once and scoffed. "I wouldn't bother trying, if I were you."

"And why is that?"

"Well, dear, I've spent the entire night flirting with him, and he hasn't asked me to dance yet. If I can't get his attention, what makes you think a girl like you can?"

All the other girls, including Rylee, sucked in their breath, but Tabitha kept her smile.

"Rachel, that's - " Isabelle attempted to explain who she was talking to.

"It is a shame you'll have to miss out on him, too," Rachel said dauntingly, ignoring her friends attempted warning. She approached Tabitha. "I've heard he is a wonderful dancer."

"Oh, he is, but he's an even better kisser."

That knocked Rachel back a couple of steps, but she quickly recovered and glared at Tabitha again. "So you're the Alexander girl?"

"I am. Though my name is actually Tabitha."

"You hardly live up to you description," Rachel scoffed. "Surpassing beauty? I don't see it."

Tabitha stepped forward angrily. "At least I can get and keep a guy without acting like a total slut."

Rachel gaped at her. "Excuse me?!"

"I wish I could, but throwing yourself at a man already in a relationship is inexcusable in my book. So sorry," Tabitha said menacingly.

The girl, completely offended, gawked at her, but didn't argue. Tabitha raised her eyebrows, daring her to continue, but the girl kept her mouth shut and stayed silently fuming.

Tabitha adopted a smug smile. "Come on, Rylee."

Together, the friends left the room, leaving the five girls behind, gawking at them. When they were back in the hall, Rylee held out her hand for Tabitha.

"Nice," Rylee said approvingly.

Tabitha slapped her hand. "Thanks."

Her eyes almost instantly landed on Jim. She quickly navigated her way over to him and grabbed his hand. He jumped a little and turned to face her, then smiled.

"Did you fix it?" he asked.

"No, we couldn't find anything to fix it with."

"Then what took so long?"

"Oh, I had to... make some enemies," she said casually.

Jim looked at her questioningly, but Tabitha's eyes darted back to the door just in time to see the girls walk out.

"What are you - "

"Kiss me," she interrupted him.

Jim didn't need to be told twice. He leaned down and softly kissed her. When they separated, Tabitha turned to see the girls all looking positively shocked. All except the girl in red, who was still glaring at her. Tabitha only smiled daringly again and laced her arm around Jim's. The girl gaped at her, then stomped off angrily.

Jim watched them storm off, then smirked at Tabitha. "Were you using me to get even with her?"

"She's awful!" Tabitha complained.

"Yeah, I know," Jim agreed.

"She said she was up for a little competition, so I gave it to her."

"Don't tell me your jealous!" Jim teased.

Tabitha huffed. "I dislike her immensely."

"You don't need to. You're at least a thousand time prettier than she is, and despite her, ah, revealing dress - "Jim leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I find you much more enticing."

The full meaning of his words became clear when she turned back to face him again and found his gave was significantly more amorous than usual. It was so intense that she felt her face grow increasingly warm.

"You know, if you're dress is ripped, we should probably get going," he suggested.

"Okay..."

Apparently, they were not the only ones who had decided to leave; the rooms were only about half as full as they had been upon their arrival. They made their way through the house in record time and were almost in the clear when -

"Tabitha! Leaving so soon?"

They were halted by Mr. Darcy.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, but it's been a long day."

"We're both very tired," Jim added.

"Ah, I understand," the man smiled. "Then I hope I have the pleasure of seeing you again soon."

The pair nodded demurely as the man walked away. Breathing a sigh of relief that they were not held up for an extended period of time, they turned to leave. Then, for the second time that night, there was a loud rip and Tabitha froze.

"Oops."

In unison, Tabitha and Jim turned around and laid eyes on Rachel and her four shocked friends.

"So sorry," Rachel mocked, observing the tear that now ran from the bottom of the dress to nearly Tabitha's hip with an evil grin.

Amidst a combination of giggles, gasps, and chiding about the girls actions from the people around them, Tabitha frantically tried to save some of her dignity while gathering up the material of her skirt. Jim stood beside her and shielded her as best he could from the surrounding observers.

"Get me out of here," Tabitha helplessly asked.

"I want to, but we have to figure out how to get you out without you, you know, flashing everyone."

Tabitha blushed. She hadn't even thought about that. The door was still a couple of rooms, and probably at least two dozen people away.

"I could give you my jacket or something."

"It isn't long enough to help much," Tabitha replied. "Besides, then you'd be walking around in just your shirt. That's not really proper either."

"It's more proper than you are right now," Jim countered.

"We're just going to have to go. Just cover me as best you can."

"What? You can't - "

"Jim, please, I just want to leave," she begged.

"I can help."

The voice that cut through their hurried whispers belong to Isabelle.

"We don't need your kind of help," Jim snapped, assuming she was on Rachel's side because they'd been together.

Isabelle looked hurt, but Tabitha intervened. "No, wait. I met her earlier. She's nice."

Isabelle gave a small shrug. "I thought this was the least I could do to show my gratitude, since I never got to thank you earlier."

"What did you do?" Jim asked Tabitha.

"How can you help?" Tabitha pleaded, ignoring Jim's comment for the time being.

"Follow me."

Isabelle led them in the direction opposite the way they had been going, away from the front door, through a couple of empty rooms that were clearly supposed to be closed to the party, then finally to another door in the kitchen that Tabitha assumed was the servants entrance.

Tabitha gasped. "Oh, thank you so much."

"Don't mention it," Isabelle smiled. "Thank you for introducing me to Landon."

"Landon?" Jim laughed in disbelief.

"I set them up," Tabitha explained.

"He's wonderful," Isabelle said happily.

The group waved goodbye as they departed from each other.

"I have never been so mortified in my entire life," Tabitha said quietly as she fanned her flushed face.

Jim was suddenly struck with an idea. "Hey, follow me."

"What? Where?"

"We're going for a walk," he said as he headed towards the woods behind the Darcy's estate.

"I want to go back to the ship."

Jim sighed heavily. "Please?"

"Why? It's the middle of the night!"

"I just want to go for a walk."

Tabitha rolled her eyes and gave in as she followed Jim into the woods, through the clusters of trees, over fallen branches and stumps.

"Are you sure this is really a good idea? Traipsing through someone else's woods in the middle of the night?"

"Relax. Nobody knows we're out here, and there's nothing out here that could hurt us," he explained. "I heard Mr. Darcy complaining that there was nothing to hunt on his land."

"Okay, but if I get attacked by a Candarian zap-wing or something, I'll never forgive you."

They laughed and continued through the woods, their way lit only by the light of the stars and moon. Eventually, their path ended at a huge, gnarled looking tree. Tabitha started to go left, but Jim grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No, wait! Let's go this way!" he said, pulling her to the right.

"Why?"

He shrugged, but a smirk spread across his lips. "I just have a feeling."

"Wait a minute, you're taking me somewhere, aren't you?"

"Maybe..." he feigned innocence.

"Where?"

"It's a surprise," he answered.

"A surprise?" she questioned skeptically. "Can I at least have a clue?"

"No need," he said. "We're here."

"We're where?" She asked as she observed their surroundings. They were still encircled by trees, but straight in front of them was a small pond.

"I thought we could cool off," Jim said as he sat down at the water's edge and pulled off his boots and rolled up his pants legs so he could put his feet in the water.

"Oh, yes, please," Tabitha said thankfully as she did the same. Hiking her skirts up to her knees, she slowly lowered her bare feet into the water and breathed out a relaxed sigh as her aching feet found relief.

"I overheard him talking about this place earlier. I thought it sounded nice," Jim shrugged.

"It is nice," Tabitha agreed as she laid down, keeping her feet in the water.

"Yeah," Jim sighed as he laid down next to her.

They laid there and let the water cool off their whole bodies, easing the stress from the evening as it did.

"I wish we could go swimming," Jim said after a while. "_That_ would be nice."

"We could you know..." Tabitha mentioned.

Jim propped up on his elbow and turned to face her. "How? I don't have a swimsuit."

"I don't either..."

Jim looked confused; Tabitha raised his eyebrows at him.

He went wide-eyed. "Are you suggesting we skinny-dip?"

"What? No!" she blushed as she sat back up. "I meant in underwear."

"Oh," Jim mumbled, embarrassed by his first assumption.

"Yeah."

Jim tried to make eye contact with her. "You want to?"

Tabitha kept her gaze focused on a piece of hair she was twisting around her finger, suddenly embarrassed by the realization of how forward her suggestion was. "Well, I-I don't know. The water would feel really good..."

"You don't mind?" Jim verified.

"Well, I mean, it's just me and you here..."

Jim observed her nervous mannerisms. "I'm only going to do this if you're comfortable with it."

"I am. I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."

"Are you sure?" Jim questioned one last time. The water looked tantalizingly refreshing, but their was no way they were going swimming unless Tabitha was completely okay with it.

She smiled. "One hundred percent."

Jim grinned and hopped up from the water's edge and helped pull Tabitha to her feet as well. Blushing already, they laughed nervously and turned their backs to each other. Tabitha unzipped the dress and pulled it off, then her camisole, her petticoats, and finally, her slip. Jim followed in the same steps, removing his jacket, then his shirt. As he started to step out of his pants, he happened to catch a glimpse of Tabitha out of the corner of his eye. Obviously, his girlfriend standing only a couple feet away, slowly sliding the silky slip down her legs, was a bit distracting. With his focus now on her undressing instead of him, he tried to step out of his pants, but only succeeded in getting his foot caught within the leg.

"Agh!" he both shouted as he stumbled back. Trying to keep from falling, he reached out for something to hold onto.

"Oh!" Tabitha squealed as Jim grabbed her arm and pulled her to the ground.

In an instant, Jim realized two things: that they had both finally managed to strip down to just their underwear, and that he had pulled Tabitha down on top of him. Now in a state of _complete_ shock, all Jim could do was swallow nervously as his mind raced off with thoughts and possibilities about their current position. Tabitha, too, was hit with a sudden rush of emotions as her heartbeat went from slightly increased to completely erratic, beating with no rhyme or reason at all. It took several moments of entranced staring, as they reveled in the feeling of being so close to one another, before either of them regained their senses.

"I-I-I'm sorry!" Jim stuttered, having to practically push her off of him before his thoughts made his body start to unwillingly react.

Tabitha swallowed. "No, i-its alright - "

"I wasn't trying to - "

"I should have - "

"But then you were - "

"And I was - "

They stopped and stared at each other for an awkward moment before bursting into laughter, easing the tension exponentially.

"So are you ready?" Tabitha asked as she stood up and pulled her hair down - the final touch.

Jim's jaw dropped - the water was no longer the tantalizing prospect his mind chose to focus on. Now that Tabitha was standing, he had a full view of her body, and she was stunning - literally; Jim might as well have been paralyzed with how incapable he was of moving, or even forming logical thoughts for that matter. Everything about her - her hair, her skin, her shape - was breathtaking and, in Jim's mind, exquisitely perfect. Jim wasn't aware of truly how long he'd been staring until Tabitha folded her arms across her and looked down bashfully.

He hurriedly stood up and reached out to her. "Y-you look so... um," he paused to clear his throat. "You're really beautiful."

It was simple, but it was sincere, and Tabitha had to look away as her cheeks turned pink yet again. Jim smiled as he took her hand and pulled her to the edge of the water.

"You're sure about this?" Jim asked one last time, even though any damage had probably already been done by this point.

Tabitha's smiled and slowly waded into the water.

"It's freezing!" Tabitha she cried as she wrapped her arms around her.

"You knew that," Jim outright laughed at her.

"I-it's colder o-once you're in i-t-t," she shivered.

Jim jumped in, dousing Tabitha with the icy water in the process.

"Jim! I'm still trying to get used to it!" she complained .

But Jim wasn't there; he hadn't resurfaced.

"Jim?"

Nothing. The water was completely still, save for the ripples surrounding her.

"What are you doing?"

Still nothing. She began to spin around and look for him.

"Jim, cut it out."

Her legs started to kick faster as her searching became more frantic.

"I'm serious, Jim! Sto - AH!" Her scream was cut short when she was abruptly pulled under.

Moments later she came to the surface, coughing from the water she'd swallowed, while Jim bobbed up beside her, laughing. She pushed him in mock anger.

"Did I scare you?" he questioned.

"No," she lied unconvincingly.

Jim rolled his eyes disbelievingly. Tabitha stopped sputtering and slid over to him, stopping as close as she could without actually touching him. She locked her eyes on his and slowly started to lean in. Jim followed her lead, leaning closer as well, playing her game and resisting the urge he had to grab her and kiss her as hard as he could. When they were mere centimeters away, Tabitha suddenly stopped leaning in. Jim was unaware of her sudden disappearance as his eyes were closed, so he leaned forward, expecting his lips to meet hers. When they didn't, he had just enough time to open his eyes before he was yanked underwater. Moments later, they surfaced again, this time with Tabitha laughing and Jim coughing.

"Not fair," he spluttered.

"You did the same thing to me!"

"I _meant_ about you teasing me," Jim laughed. "You can not keep leading me on like that."

"And why is that?" Tabitha teased as she swam backwards a little.

Jim followed. "I think you don't realize how much of an effect your actions have on me."

"An effect, huh?" Tabitha giggled.

Jim gaped at her. "You're doing it on purpose, aren't you? You know exactly what it's doing to me."

She shrugged casually and started to swim off again, but Jim grabbed her wrist.

"That's it! Come here," he said pulling her back to him.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. As he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, he realized she was still shaking.

"Are you still cold?"

"Mm-hmm," she nodded.

A mischievous smile spread across Jim's face as he whispered in here ear, "Then maybe we should heat things up a little."

Tabitha took the bait. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You'd better. Otherwise I might catch a cold or something."

"Well what kind of a boyfriend would I be if I let that happen?" he chuckled.

They pulled each other in at the same time, completely uninhibited by the secluded intimacy the woods provided. It was only them. Ivan, William, the commodore, Silver - they were all forgotten for the time being; Jim and Tabitha knew only of each other. Though it started off as rough and passionate, their kiss slowly dwindled to something softer and more tender. Soon, they found themselves being flooded with repose instead of the excitement they typically felt. It held just as much emotion, but not the same kind. Rest replaced stimulation, peace overtook thrill. When they decided together to separate, all they did was stare, as if each had just discovered some aspect about their relationship, some new reason they were in love. They each released a breath that neither had realized they were holding.

"Jim..." Tabitha breathed dreamily.

Jim opened his mouth before he realized he had no idea what to say. He calmly enveloped her lips once again, knowing that that alone said more than words ever could. They smiled at each other, but their happy solitude was promptly broke around them.

"Tabitha!?"

Tabitha gasped and spun around. Her eye's doubled in size, as did Jim's, at the sight of Commodore Aldamae.

"Tabitha, Jim... I - we - have been looking everywhere for you," he explained, avoiding looking directly at them.

Jim rushed to switch his place with Tabitha's to shield the view of her. She accepted this move gladly, and hid as best she could behind him while she wrapped her hands around her shoulders.

"It's time for us to leave now, to head back to the ship. So would you kindly get dressed and join us?"

Neither teenager spoke a word, but they swam over to the edge. Jim climbed out first, then reached down to help Tabitha. With her arms still crossed over her, she glanced from Jim's hand to the commodore, then back to Jim as she bit her lip. Jim understood and turned to the commodore. It only took two seconds of Jim's harsh stare for Commodore Aldamae to realize what the problem was. He blanched and quickly turned around to face the woods.

Tabitha took Jim's hand and he helped her out of the water. They hurriedly redressed, their clothes thoroughly soaked and clinging to them because they'd had no way to dry off. Jim noticed Tabitha struggling with what to do about the skirt of her dress, but he spotted a different problem. The pale colored dress had gone completely see through, making her look no more decent then she had looked in just her underwear. Jim slid his coat back off and wrapped it around her shoulders. Tabitha looked at him confusedly, and he vaguely gestured to her torso. Tabitha looked down, gasped, and quickly pulled the coat tightly around her.

"I think this makes it to the top three most embarrassing days of my life," she mumbled quietly to Jim.

"Yeah, I bet," Jim said, feeling sorry for everything that had happened to her over the past few hours. This was not at all what she'd expected.

"Hey, Commodore, did you find them?"

"This way!" Commodore Aldamae shouted to the voice. "Is it alright if I turn back around now?"

"Um, yeah," Jim said hesitantly.

"Wait, Jim! My skirt - "

"It doesn't matter. Your whole dress is see through now. You'll be able to see what's underneath either way," tried to gently explain.

Tabitha mouthed a silent 'Oh' as the pink of her face brightened.

"Hey, where are the - ah-ha-ha-ha..." Graham's question shifted into am sued laughter at the sight of the sopping wet, scarlet red couple.

"I'm guessing this just became the most embarrassing day of your life," Jim guessed.

Tabitha nodded hopelessly. "You guessed right."

* * *

**Swimming idea requested by anon. Thank you so much - I really liked that!**

**So there you have it - some drama to keep it interesting, some fluff in honor of Valentine's Day (even though that was yesterday...), all in all a fairly well-rounded set of chapters.  
I'm still not entirely sure I like the way they came out... For some reason, I struggled with staying character a lot :/ I hope I managed to fix it.  
**

**I promise to update when I get the chance, but it may be a longer wait than usual, I'm just not sure. I've got several big things I have to work on coming up, and this next chapter is going to involve a lot of work :/**

**Reviewers - Keep on doing what you do best! You know how much I enjoy reading them :)  
**

**-Emily**


	32. Deciding What To Do

**I'm going to go ahead and say it right now - I really don't like this chapter. I'm sorry, but I'm just not feeling it :/**  
**However, I thought I'd been making you guys wait long enough, so here it is.**

**Enjoy (maybe)!**

**-Emily**

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

"Hey, hey! Here he is now! Mornin', lover boy!"

As I entered the galley, I looked up to see the eager faces of all my friends, minus Rylee. I rubbed my eyes from sleepiness and exasperation, but said nothing.

"Lover boy!" Morph squeaked happily as he flitted around the room, twice as wound up as usual because of all the time he'd spent alone recently.

I knew at any moment the questions would start, but I wasn't going to just volunteer an explanation. I didn't want to talk about it; I was still too embarrassed about... everything. I'd only taken Tabitha out there in the first place to be alone with her so I could propose. The swimming had come as a surprise, but a good one. It was nearly perfect... until we'd gotten caught half-naked together by the Commodore and Graham. I still hadn't proposed to Tabitha, and now I was going to get to listen to endless teasing.

"Just get it over with," I finally sighed.

"Last night!" Graham insisted.

"What about it?"

"You and Tabitha!" Cason added.

"What about us?"

"Are we going to have to spell it out for you?" Theodore asked.

"W-H-A-T-H-A-P-E-N-E-D?" Graham... spelled it out.

August hit him and rolled his eyes. "Happened has two 'P's in it, you dunce."

"You dunce! You dunce!" Morph repeated, flying happily from person to person.

"Stars above, Jim, would you just tell us already?" Landon questioned.

"Why don't you tell them all about your experience with Isabelle instead?" I taunted, trying to get the subject away from me.

"Aw, we were there for that! All they did was dance!" Cason complained. "I want to know about _your_ 'experience', as you called it."

"We went swimming to cool off. End of story."

"Like hell it is!" Graham countered. "When I stumble across two of my friends, alone, half-dressed, and soaking wet, I want details!"

"There are no details!" I shouted, though I felt my face flush as I spoke.

"Yeah, right," August rolled his eyes.

"Sure..." Theodore commented.

Even Morph turned into a pair of rolling eyes.

"Alright, if you won't tell them what really happened, I'll tell what it looked like," Graham said dauntingly.

"Fine. Go ahead," I tried to sound casual as I poured myself a glass of purp juice. _It'll be interesting to learn what he'd assumed..._

Graham eyed me skeptically, but I just raised his eyebrows, challenging him to begin. Graham laughed to himself and started his story.

"Well, when I found them, they were both completely drenched from head to foot, and Tabitha's dress was ripped halfway off. We know that you and Tabitha ditched the party before the rest of us. So I'm thinking that Jim here just couldn't wait, pulled Tabitha away from the party early, and together they headed off to the woods. How am I doing so far?"

"Whoa, whoa! What do you mean 'just couldn't wait'?" I asked offensively, but Graham ignored me. _Of course. I should have known he would assume nothing less._

"Now, I'm assuming that once they got out there, Jim was a bit... _eager_ and ended up ripping Tabitha's dress off of her - "

I nearly spewed juice everywhere trying to interrupt the story, but Graham ignored my coughing.

"I can't say for sure what happened after you were both undressed, but it doesn't take a genius to guess what it might have been. You said you went swimming to cool off, so I'm assuming your 'experience' probably left you both pretty hot and, hey, since you were already undressed, why not go swimming, right? I guess that about sums it up. Jim, any thoughts?"

"Any thoughts? Any thoughts?" Morph jabbered.

I continued to choke for a minute before I was finally able to catch my breath. It was a good thing my face remained red from coughing, because underneath I was blushing as dark as I ever had.

"You... bastard," I gasped. "No. That is _not_ what happened!"

"Hey, you're the one who wouldn't tell us the real story," Graham challenged. "I was left to my own devices, and that's what I came up with."

"Oh, come on! You made it sound as wild as you possibly could!"

"Wanna bet?" Graham laughed. "I could probably do better."

"_No_," I said fiercely while the other boys snickered at our bickering match.

"Unless you tell us what actually happened, that's my story and I'm sticking to it," Graham informed him.

I sighed. "Look, nothing happened. Tabitha's dress was ripped because some girl got into a fight with her over me - "

"Some girl actually fought over _you_?" Cason teased.

I ignored this. " - And ended up stepping on the edge of it and tearing it. She was embarrassed and wanted to leave. Yeah, it was my idea we go to the woods - "

"Ha! I told you so!" Graham said triumphantly.

" - But _not_ for your reasoning! I took her there because - " I hesitated, still trying to keep my thoughts on proposing secret. "We were both hot and sick of the crowd. I'd heard their was a pond out there, so I took her there to cool off. It was her idea to go swimming, so we did. That's. It. Happy?"

"Is that really it?" August asked after a brief pause.

"Yes!"

"That wasn't nearly as interesting as you made it out to be," Cason turned on Graham.

"Oh, come on! He's obviously leaving out stuff." Graham thought for a second, then seemed to realize something. "Wait a minute... your clothes..."

_Oh boy..._

"What about them?" Landon questioned.

Graham smirked. "They weren't completely drenched. They were just wet."

"So?" Theodore asked.

"So they didn't swim in them. There's no way that Tabitha would have gone swimming in that dress, and she was wearing Jim's jacket, and it was completely dry. You didn't swim in your clothes."

"Didn't swim in your clothes!" Morph squealed. He started to illustrate this, but I quickly snatched him out of the air until he stopped.

Every head turned to look at me, and I knew my blush was going to give me away. "Well not all of them at least..." I mumbled.

Amidst hoots and cheers, I smiled despite myself. Just then, Tabitha came strolling in to the galley, and was hailed by applause and even a couple of whistles on behalf of Graham & Morph. She froze, looking around the room until her gaze stopped on me. I stopped smiling, lest she think that I had just been bragging about the night before.

"What?" she asked quietly.

"Jim's been recounting your little adventure," August explained.

Tabitha flushed bright pink. "N-nothing happened."

"Except that Jim managed to persuade you out of your clothes," Graham teased.

Tabitha looked away, and I punched Graham's arm. "Stop it."

"Why?"

"You're embarrassing her," I explained in a fierce whisper.

"That isn't what happened," Tabitha suddenly spoke up, the blush from her face mostly gone.

"What's not what happened?" Theodore asked.

"Jim didn't persuade me out of my clothes." Everyone sat there, looking confused for a moment, but then she smirked. "I persuaded him out of his."

_Great... _Now I was the one blushing again. While our friends all laughed, Tabitha pulled up a chair and sat beside me. "Now who's embarrassed?" she said just loud enough for me to hear.

"Oh, that was priceless," Graham chuckled. "What else happened?"

"Jim didn't tell you?" she asked in fake surprise.

"Of course I didn't," I interrupted, deciding to play along. "I don't kiss and tell, remember?"

"Remember? Remember?" Morph asked.

I tilted my chair and leaned back. I didn't notice Graham's foot sliding under one of the lifted legs of the chair... that is, until I suddenly went flying backwards. Morph laughed, then turned into a miniature version of me and repeated my fall.

"Ow..." I mumbled through the roar of laughter as I rubbed the back of my head. "What the hell, Graham?"

"Don't act so smug about your girlfriend," Graham countered.

"At least I can get a girlfriend."

The others 'ooh'-ed, but Graham glared at me, fighting the urge to smile. "Don't make me come down there, Hawkins."

I narrowed my eyes daringly, then kicked Graham's chair out from beneath him. Laughing, I stood up and brushed off my clothes.

"Yeah, have your laugh now," Graham joked. "But I'll get you back."

"Whatever," I said as I reached down a hand and pulled him up too.

"Whatever," Morph said.

Landon laughed. "Okay, okay. Enough teasing the happy couple."

"Yeah, sorry guys, but come on," Tabitha smiled. "You know nothing happened."

"Yeah, so, uh, I want to hear about this Isabelle girl," I smirked at Landon.

He blanched. "We just danced."

"And?" Tabitha asked. "You like her, right?"

"I... we just met a few hours ago."

"And?"

"And? And? And?" Morph squeaked until Landon swatted him away.

"And that's too early to know if you like someone," he said matter of factly.

"Well that's too bad then," August sighed.

"What's too bad?"

"Well, we really thought you liked her, so we asked her to come on our date with us..." Graham explained.

"You what?!"

"Date?" I questioned.

"We're meeting up with some girls we met last night," August answered.

"I'm taking Rylee," Cason said. "You and Tabitha can come to."

"Hey!" Landon interrupted. "You did what?"

"We invited her to come with us, to meet up with you," Theodore smiled.

"Why would you do that?" he asked in a panicked voice.

"Oh, come on! We know you really like her," Graham rolled his eyes. "And you weren't going to get up the nerve to ask her yourself, so we did it for you. Just say thank you and go get ready."

Landon stared at them in shock for a second, then got up and rushed out of the galley.

"We should get ready too," August added as they all got up to leave.

"Are you guys coming?" Cason asked me and Tabitha.

I started to answer yes, but Tabitha interrupted me. "Um, actually, I kind of have something I need to do."

They nodded and left, Morph flying off after them. I laughed to myself when I picture Morph joining them on their date, then turned to Tabitha. "Thanks for embarrassing me," I joked.

"What?"

"'I persuaded him out of his,'" I repeated. "As if I needed more reason for them to tease me."

She smiled and shrugged. "Well, it was the truth. That was my idea. Besides, I was embarrassed too."

"Not as much as I was. I'd already been listening to them for a while before you came down here."

"Oh, poor you," she said sarcastically as she got up from her chair. Before she could walk away, I grabbed her hand and pulled her back to me. I'd either pulled harder than I'd meant to or caught her off guard because she stumbled backward and landed on me. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," I said as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Then let me go!" she giggled.

"Why?" I asked slyly. "I think I kind of like you here."

"Because I - Jim!" she squealed as I kissed her neck. I continued to kiss around her neck and jaw and she started to laugh and fidget, trying to break out of my grasp. "Jim, quit it!"

"No," I laughed quietly, but didn't stop or let her go. "You got to mess with me last night. I'm only returning the favor."

"This isn't fair!"

"Now you know how I feel."

She kept laughing and I kept messing with her until she suddenly froze. I looked at her to see what the problem was, and found the Commodore had just entered the galley, catching us for the second time in under a day.

"Um..." he began, unsure of what to say. "Tabitha, Jim... I was just coming to talk to you."

Normally, I would have been embarrassed (again) but it was clear Tabitha was much more flustered by the entire situation. "I think we're even on being embarrassed now," I whispered to her.

She snapped out of it and quickly stood up, almost falling again as she did, and moved away from me. "Um, w-we... I..."

"What did you want to talk to us about?" I filled in for her stuttering.

"Oh, yes," he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. "I was just wondering when we were planning on departing?"

"I, uh... what?"

"You've found out about your parents have you? When are you planning to go back home?"

"I-I'm not," she said confusedly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I needed to talk to you about this," she said to me.

"Uh, okay?" I answered.

"What exactly are you saying?" Commodore Aldamae asked worriedly.

"I'm saying that I'm kind of rethinking my plan to not find the fortune," she said.

"So you do want to find it now?" he asked.

"I... I don't know." She sighed. "I started out just wanting to find out about my parents, but... the more I hear about them, the more I feel like it's something I need to do. But I'm kind of..." she dropped off and didn't finish her thought.

Commodore Aldamae sighed. "Well you know I stand with Silver on the issue. I don't think you should go. I do believe you'd end up hurt, one way or another. However, if you decide to go, I will of course be coming with you."

Tabitha turned to look at me and I shrugged. I didn't know what to tell her. "I'm with you, whatever you decide."

She thought for a minute, then took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Charlotte."

The commodore and I both blinked, surprised by this answer.

"Alright," he said. "Then we'll talk to Charlotte."

"No, I need to talk to her alone," Tabitha answered determinedly.

"Well I'm not very well going to let you go to the Bryne household by yourself," he replied.

"Yeah, we're going with you," I added.

"But - " She looked back and forth between Commodore Aldamae and me. "Can I talk to Jim alone for a moment?"

"Of course. I'll be waiting for you on deck."

I waited for him to leave before I opened my mouth again. "You didn't honestly think we'd let you go alone, did you?"

"But I need to talk to Charlotte by myself."

"Why?"

"I... I just do," she mumbled.

"Okay, then we'll go with you and just wait outside or something," I suggested.

She rolled her eyes. "Weren't you the one who said we should be trusting Ivan? Wouldn't that mean trusting Charlotte as well?"

"No, I said that his story sounded more likely. That doesn't mean I want you to go over there alone."

She sighed frustratedly.

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"I'm... I'm just getting kind of sick of being treated like a child," she answered. "Always having to have someone with me... I mean, I appreciate what you and the commodore are trying to do, but..."

"Okay, I see how that would be annoying," I conceded. "But you know we have to. I don't want to see you get hurt."

We sat there in silence for a minute until I spoke up again. "What were you going to say? When you started to say you were kind of..."

She laughed quietly. "I was going to say scared."

"Really?"

She shrugged. "I know, it's stupid."

"No, it isn't. You have every right to be."

"But I don't want to be," she explained. "I feel like... if I'm scared, then why am I putting myself through it? I can't believe that - even after everything that's happened - I still want to find this fortune."

I smiled. "If it's something you need to do, then do it."

"But what about you?"

"What about me? I'll be with you no matter what you decide."

"Yeah, I know," she muttered.

I looked at her suspiciously. "You aren't still worried about losing me are you?" She looked away, so I reached out and grabbed her hand. "If that's what you keep worrying about, then don't."

"I _can't_, Jim," she explained. "I can't just stop worrying. That dream I had... if that were to happen, just because I decided to go find that fortune, I couldn't... It isn't even remotely worth losing you over."

It made sense, but I didn't want to be the one holding her back from everything she felt like she needed to do. "Tabitha, look at me." She looked up, and I was a little surprised to see that she wasn't crying. "I'm going to be fine."

"We've been through this before," she sighed. "You don't know that."

"Okay, I - " I rubbed the bridge of my nose and sighed. "Forget it. Let's just go talk to Charlotte. We'll figure it out later."

* * *

At the Bryne household, Tabitha and Charlotte disappeared into the kitchen together, leaving the three men alone together in the sitting room. Ivan was trying to keep up a cheery disposition, Commodore Aldamae was keeping an eye on him, but Jim was downright glaring.

"So you're Commodore Aldamae?" Ivan finally spoke up.

"I am," the commodore answered simply.

Ivan nodded. "You're here on behalf of Silver?"

"Yes."

"Care to explain how that came about?"

The commodore thought for a moment. "I'm here to supervise the expedition. I'm sure you can see that the kids are a bit young to be traveling alone."

"Ah, yes, I agree," Ivan said. "But why couldn't Silver do that?"

"Something came up, and he thought I'd be more qualified to handle them, what with my station as a commodore."

Jim was surprised with how quickly Commodore Aldamae seemed to be coming up with his story, but he of course didn't say anything. Nobody spoke and the room quickly fell back into an air of uneasiness.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Charlotte and Tabitha were sharing a silence of their own.

"Look," Tabitha sighed. "Right now, all I have to go on is the story you and Ivan told against the story that Silver told, and I want to believe Silver."

Charlotte nodded. "I do understand."

"But," she continued. "I really want to trust you."

"You do?"

"Well, you are my family after all," Tabitha smiled.

"Oh, yes. I suppose..."

"So can I just... ask you some questions?" Tabitha began nervously. Charlotte nodded, unsure of what to expect. "Okay, well... did you ever threaten my dad?" Charlotte blanched. "I know that sounds accusatory, but that's what Ivan told me."

"Ivan told you that?" she asked.

"Yeah, he said that he was pretty sure you would have had to threaten my dad in order to get him to help you with the clues to the fortune."

Charlotte sighed. "I'm not happy to admit it, but yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you want this fortune so bad?" Tabitha said angrily. "What made you want it bad enough to threaten your own family?"

"I..." Charlotte sighed. "I wanted it for my father."

Tabitha blanched. "Your father?"

She nodded. "He was always jealous of his brother, your grandfather. He always joked that he wanted to have a part in the family business. He was long gone by the time I met with your father, but I... I just felt like... if I could find it, then I would somehow be making him proud. I'm sure that doesn't make any sense, but - "

"No, it makes perfect sense," Tabitha interrupted. "That's... that's exactly how I feel. That's why I want to go find the fortune now."

"Really?" Charlotte asked happily. "So you do want to go find it?"

"Yeah! I just have this feeling like - "

" - Like it's something you have to do?" Charlotte finished excitedly.

"You need to finish what they started?" Tabitha added.

"You'd never be truly satisfied until you did?"

"Exactly!" Tabitha laughed happily. "Yes. That's exactly how I feel. I'm glad somebody understands."

Charlotte smiled. "Well, honestly... it would make me very happy if you decided to go... and even happier if you allowed me to come with you. I've... well, nevermind."

"No, what?" Tabitha asked curiously. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing, really. I..." she sighed sadly. "Let's just say I've given up a few things, chasing this dream."

Tabitha blanched. "What?"

Charlotte gave a halfhearted smile and shrugged. "It's a long story."

Tabitha started to ask to hear it, but she could tell from the woman's facial expression that she didn't want to. Still, that statement... that couldn't have just been coincidence... how did she know it? Tabitha started to ask, but Commodore Aldamae suddenly entered the room and stopped her.

"My apologies," he said. "I was just wondering how things were going."

"Just fine," Charlotte answered.

"Good," he smiled. "Tabitha, would you mind going back to stay with Jim while I have a word with Charlotte?"

"Um... sure," Tabitha said confusedly as she backed out of the room.

Once they were alone, they did nothing but stare at each other for what seemed like a year. Finally, the commodore smiled.

"Hello, Abigail."

Charlotte sighed and rushed forward to hug the man. Commodore Aldamae was a bit startled, but returned it.

"You did recognize me," she said as she stepped back.

"Of course I did," he grinned at her. "Though it has been a while, hasn't it? How have you been, my dear?"

"Well, not too bad I guess, though I could have been better." Suddenly, her face brightened. "Are you in contact with Silver? Have you seen him? Ivan said that you were here on behalf of him. Are you still in touch? Can I - "

"Easy, now," the commodore laughed. "Yes, I've seen him, but no I am not still in touch. He simply asked me to come on this trip to keep an eye on Tabitha then we went our separate ways."

"Oh," she said, lowering her head in disappointment. "Well... did he, um, mention me?"

Commodore Aldamae shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Of course, he didn't know you would be involved, or else I'm sure he would have had sent a message to you."

"You really think so?" she whispered.

"Of course, my dear. He still loves you." Charlotte smiled, but the commodore frowned. "Whatever happened that made you two separate?"

She sagged forward sadly. "I was a fool. Let's just leave it at that."

He smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I have a feeling this will all work out."

She nodded. "Is... is Silver really like a father to Tabitha?"

"From what I understand, he's the closest thing she's ever really had to one."

Charlotte nodded, absorbing this information the followed the commodore back into the sitting room where they found Ivan presenting a box to Tabitha.

"What is that?" the commodore asked suspiciously.

Ivan smiled. "Tabitha has decided to take a look at the clues her father left, to see if she can figure something out."

"So you do want to go?" the commodore asked in shock.

"I still don't know," she said impatiently. "I just want to see what we're up against."

"We're not committing to anything yet," Jim added.

"We understand," Charlotte smiled. "Just... look over them, and get back to us when you decide something."

* * *

That evening, Commodore Aldamae met once again in a shadowy corner of a tavern. After the commodore had retold the story of Tabitha's change of mind, and how she had gotten the clues, Silver could only smile.

"Tha's my girl."

"You can't actually be condoning this trip now?"

"O' course I ain't! I jus' can' say I'm su'prised to tha' she wants t' go is all."

"Yes, I suppose," the commodore laughed. "She certainly does take after you, in a number of ways."

"What d'ya mean?" Silver asked skeptically.

"Well, let's just say she's a bit of a wild one," the commodore shook his head in amusement. "She and that Hawkins..."

"Match made in 'eaven?"

The commodore laughed again and nodded. "Oh, and speaking of matches - I have news for you."

Silver's smile fell into a line of seriousness. "What?"

"Charlotte turned out to be your Abigail."

Silver blanched. "Abby?" The commodore nodded, but Silver frowned. "Don't kid me now, Anthony."

"I'm wouldn't. It is her."

"Really?" he repeated. "It's really Abby?"

Commodore Aldamae smiled. "She misses you. A lot."

"If yer still tryin' t' get me t' come back, it won't work."

"Even now that she's involved? Tabitha and Abigail are both there, and you still won't - "

"No! I won't," Silver said sharply. "I won't risk anyt'ing comin' between us."

He frowned. "She's already in a relationship with Ivan."

Silver clenched his fist, then sighed and relaxed.

"All righ'. I'll t'ink 'bout it."

* * *

**It's short and choppy and it lacks depth, but I'm tired and I really just needed to post something so I can start moving the story along. I'm at the point where I start tying ends together, which is why it took so long to write this.  
So, I'm sorry I made you wait so long for a crummy chapter. I'll try to be quicker on the next one, and hopefully it will be better!  
Also, I've realized that I made this story much longer than I originally meant to, so I hope you guys are here for the long haul :D**

**Have I ever told you that I love reviews?**  
**-Emily**

**Responses to Reviews**

**NeverTooLate03: If you have any ideas already, feel free to message them to me! And I'm glad I got you addicted to my story, though I'm sorry it kept you up so late :/ If it makes you feel any better, I finished writing this chapter at about 2 a.m. as well XD Landon and Isabelle will continue, and I think this chapter probably answered your questions about your theory and why Jim didn't propose. Thanks for the review!**  
**anon: Whoo! A long review! Uh... to quickly sum up, I'm glad you liked all the romance. I'm still considering a bio, but it does say somewhere near the beginning (Chapter 2, maybe?) that she has honey colored hair, but hey, feel free to picture her however you want! Yes, I understood what you meant about the difference between throwing yourself at someone and just trying to make them happy. Candarian made me think of Canadian too XD Yeah, that would be pretty embarrassing. Genius? Well thank you :) Thank you for the review and I'm glad you love my story!**  
**Manders.x.x: *returns glomp* I'm glad you loved it! Thank you for the review!**  
**23jk: Sorry to make you keep waiting, but I'm glad you're so interested in my story! Keep up the awesome reviews :D**  
**Bloodangelkisses/Mistresstaco: Odd screen name switch over, don't you think? XD I'm glad you like it so much! Thanks for the review!**  
**Horsygirl 96: Wow, thank you! I hope Graham's version was funny enough for you :D Keep up the reviews!**  
**gogo21, Unveiled Hope, viiic: Thank you for the reviews! I hope you keep reading :D**  
**Malisa: Thank you! I'm so glad that you like my story :) You aren't the first person to ask for a bio, so I'll probably put one up now. Thank you for the review! I hope to see more from you!**


	33. Eventful Dreams

**BAM! Thanks to strep throat and awesome support from loyal fans, I present your new chapter!**

**To sum up a response to the reviews from last chapter: Thank you, and I'm glad you didn't think it was too bad. I don't like letting you guys down!  
**

**Enjoy!**  
**-Emily**

* * *

"Hey, are you still alive in here?" Rylee asked as she cracked open the door to Tabitha & Jim's bedroom. "I feel like I haven't seen you since the party."

Tabitha sighed heavily. "Yeah... Come in."

"You've spent a week on this, and still no luck? Good grief, that must be frustrating," she said as she took a seat next to Tabitha at the table.

"You have no idea," Tabitha sighed.

Rylee smiled. "Why don't you take a break for a little while?"

"And do what?" she asked. "It's not exactly like there's anything else to do."

"Well... you could always tell me what happened between you and Jim that night at the Darcy's..."

"Oh, so that's what your after," Tabitha rolled her eyes.

"Please, Tabitha? Please, please, please?" she begged.

"Shut up, Rylee. It's not worth begging over," Tabitha laughed. "Nothing happened."

"You went swimming..." she began mischievously. "In your underwear."

"Yeah, so?"

"So?!" she said in surprise. "So that seems like kind of a big step to me. That's practically naked!"

Tabitha blushed. "But it isn't."

"But it _almost_ is."

"Rylee..."

"What?" Rylee smirked. "I just want to know what went on."

"I told you already - nothing," Tabitha sighed. "Jim said he wanted to go for a walk when we left the party and he led me out there to that pond. We were just soaking our feet when he said something about how he wished we could go swimming, and I said that we could, and he said he didn't have a swimsuit, and I said I didn't either - "

"So it was your idea?!" she asked wide-eyed.

"Sort of..." Tabitha mumbled. "Although when I said that, Jim thought I meant going skinnydipping..."

Rylee laughed. "Oh, I bet that's what he was thinking. And don't tell me you wouldn't have enjoyed that just as much."

Tabitha slapped her arm playfully. "So yeah, we went swimming in our underwear. That's all."

"Was there _physical activity_?" she asked slyly.

"Would you stop talking like that?" Tabitha insisted. "It isn't that scandalous."

"Uh, yeah it is!" she almost shouted. "And you didn't answer the question."

"We kissed. That's it. Now stop asking me questions." Despite the fact Tabitha was telling the truth, she felt her face heat up. She got up and walked over to the desk to review the watch again, and stayed facing the wall to hide how much she was blushing.

"Mm-hmm," she said skeptically. "Well at least tell me if Jim looked good in his boxers."

"Rylee!" Tabitha shouted, spinning back around on her.

"What?" she laughed. "You know he's good looking. I'm just curious."

"I... he's..." Yes, he was good looking, Tabitha knew that, but just thinking about his muscular form had her blushing. And yes, Jim had looked especially good in only his boxers, but she had seen him that way before. Was it because they'd gone swimming as well? Had that somehow made it more intimate? Was it the fact that she had fallen on top of him while we were changing? Tabitha blushed when she thought about it; though she would never admit it out loud, she had enjoyed that immensely_._ "Yeah, okay, h-he looked good."

"Do you think he looked hot?" she teased.

"I told you to stop talking like that! But....yeah, I guess. I mean, he... he did look... pretty sexy..."

"Mmm, I'll bet he did," Rylee nodded. "I can just imagine those muscles glistening with sweat as he stripped off his shirt - "

Tabitha's face went beet red. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" she shouted, slapping her each time she did. "If you want to imagine stuff like that, use your own boyfriend."

"Alright! Alright!" Rylee laughed. "I'll leave those thoughts to you then," she winked.

"If you want to know something juicy... then I have something else I can tell you." Something Tabitha had been dying to tell someone for ages.

Rylee's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What?!"

"Well, I... I think..."

"What?!" Rylee repeated excitedly, moving her chair closer to Tabitha's.

"I-think-Jim-might-be-about-to-propose," Tabitha rambled off quickly. Rylee's jaw dropped, and then she sqealed, loud enough that Tabitha had to hurriedly cover her mouth. "Rylee, shh! I don't want anyone to know yet!"

"I'm sorry, Tabitha, but oh my gosh! That's so exciting!"

"I know," Tabitha smiled.

"I'd kind of assumed he was going to, but what makes you so sure?" she asked curiously.

"Well... there was that day he took me to watch the sunrise, that's when I first suspected it, and then I've heard some things that made it sound like he might... and then last night when he took me out to the woods alone, he said he had a surprise, a-and I thought that might have just been the pond until..."

"Until what?!" she asked excitedly.

"Until I put on his jacket... and stuck my hand in the pocket..."

"Oh my God!" she shouted. Tabitha shushed her again and she quieted down to a thrilled whisper. "Was it a ring?!"

"I think so." All Tabitha had felt was a small box, but it just had to be.

"You mean you didn't look at it?"

"No, I still want it to be a little bit of a surprise."

Rylee bounced up and down a couple of times, then threw her arms around her friend. "I'm so happy for you!"

Tabitha laughed and returned the hug. "Thanks."

A moment later they heard footsteps enter the room. "What's with the hugging?"

Rylee pulled back and turned to face Jim. "Uh, we... Tabitha was... upset because... because she can't figure out the clues! Yeah, that's it. She was feeling kind of down and so I gave her a hug."

"Uh-huh..." Jim said, obviously not believing a word of this.

"But she feels better now, so I'm going to go! Good night!" she said as she scurried away.

Jim looked to Tabitha for an explanation, but she only shrugged. He eyed her suspiciously, then shut the door.

"So... still no luck yet?" he asked as he stripped off his shirt. Tabitha caught herself staring and silently cursed Rylee for putting those thoughts in her head... or in truth, simply reawakening them.

"No," she said as she hastily turned back to look at the paper. "It's still just nonsense."

Tabitha rested her elbow on the table and placed her head in her hand. A moment later, a hand brushed her hair over one shoulder and a pair of warm lips met her neck.

"Maybe you should take a break," Jim whispered. "And come to bed."

"Jim," Tabitha laughed. "You've tried that line every night this week, and it hasn't worked yet."

He kissed her neck again and ran his hands down her arms. "I just haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we went swimming."

"You mean you haven't been able to stop thinking about me _in my_ _underwear_ since we went swimming," she pointed out.

Jim chuckled. "You were so beautiful..."

"Thank you."

"And sexy..."

"I'm still not ready to go to sleep."

"Who said anything about going to sleep? I only said come to bed."

"Jim..."

Jim sighed. "Really? That didn't work?"

"Nope," she laughed.

"Fine. I give up," he said, giving her a quick kiss. "Don't work too late. It'll still be here tomorrow."

"I know," she smiled as they said there good-night's.

Tabitha stared at the clues, reading the same two lines over and over. Nothing. It made absolutely no sense. The more she read them, the less sense they made, and then they seemed to blur together... numbers blended into letters...

Tabitha's eyes blinked open. Her arm was asleep from where her head was resting on it on the table. She sat up drowsily and stretched.

"Tabitha..."

She turned around and looked to Jim, but he looked to be asleep. She watched him for a minute, as he tossed and turned back and forth a few times, mumbling something she couldn't hear. Once he'd settled on his back, he kicked the covers off of him and sighed. Completely fascinated, Tabitha continued to watch, and was not let down. Jim chuckled quietly, then mumbled her name again. Tabitha quickly covered her mouth and snorted in an attempt to hold back a laugh.

Suddenly, a devious idea struck her, one that was sure to embarrass the daylights out of Jim, but that she would enjoy immensely. After all, he was adorable when he was flustered. Snickering quietly while trying to keep as silent as possible, Tabitha pulled off the pants and camisole she was wearing. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Jim..." she called quietly as she brushed his bangs away from his face. He smiled, but said nothing. "Jim..."

He groaned. "Tabitha..."

"Yes, sweetie?" Tabitha giggled to herself as she ran a hand down his chest.

He rolled over onto his stomach, mumbling something Tabitha couldn't understand against the pillow.

"What was that?" she asked sweetly, running her hands down his back.

He chuckled, but didn't repeat his statement.

"Were you having a nice dream?"

"I am dreaming..." he sighed.

"No, sweetie. This is real life," she explained.

He opened one eye, smiled, then closed it again. "No it isn't. You're in only your underwear."

"Was I in only underwear in your dream?" she whispered in his ear.

Jim's forehead wrinkled, then he opened his eyes again. He rolled onto his side and met Tabitha's gaze, still disoriented from sleep. Then his eyes widened. He quickly propped himself up onto his elbow. "I am awake."

"Yes, you are," Tabitha laughed. "You were talking in your sleep."

Even in the dark, Tabitha could see how red Jim's face was. He gulped. "I, ah... wh-what did I say?"

"Mostly just my name..." she smiled. "What were you dreaming about?"

Jim pushed himself up into a sitting position and cleared his throat. "I'd, um, rather not tell you."

"Well then why don't you show me?" she suggested, inching slightly closer.

"Ah..." Jim said unsurely. "A-are you sure I'm awake?"

"Mm-hmm," she said slyly. "I just haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we went swimming." She moved closer. "You were so handsome." She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "And sexy."

She lightly kissed him, then pulled back to take in Jim's stunned look. Smirking, she lowered her lips to his neck and kissed him, then moved down slightly and placed another, then another...

Her warm breath on his chest snapped Jim out of his state of shock. "T-T-Tabitha..."

She looked at him innocently. "What?"

He took a deep breath, then glared at her, although a smile played at the corners of his mouth. "You are getting way too much enjoyment out of this at my expense."

She bit her lip, anxiously waiting for him to do something. Laughing, he grabbed her and pulled her onto him as he fell back onto the bed. Jim kissed her and Tabitha instantly forgot to be shocked. Involved in their passionate kiss, their hearts raced together as pure adrenaline pumped through their veins. Tabitha ran her hands over Jim's chest, memorizing every muscle and contour. Jim had never been so excited to hold Tabitha to him, and he took advantage of this. His hands raced from Tabitha's hips, to her back, to her arms. The more she touched him, the more he wanted to touch her. Jim was only half aware of his hands moving up to her shoulders, slowly sliding the strap on her shoulder farther down -

"_Jim_..." Tabitha said warningly, smiling as she pulled away from the kiss a fraction of an inch.

Jim swallowed nervously. "S-sorry."

"Apology accepted," she laughed as she kissed him again. Tabitha continued to enjoy his touch, but his last action had gotten her thinking. Where was this going? They were in only their undergarments, in bed, and things were kind of intense... She stopped.

"What is it?" he panted.

"I'm sorry. I... I know I started this," she began anxiously. "B-but, um, where is this going? We're not - "

"No, we're not," he assured her before she'd even finished her question. "You know that."

"I know, but I wanted to make sure," she explained. "Because you do seem kind of... enthusiastic tonight."

"That's because I am," he chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

Tabitha bit her lip. "Well, honestly... I am too."

"I noticed."

They laughed and reconnected once again. Jim knew exactly what he was doing with each move he made. Each touch sent a new rush of fire through her body, leaving her yearning for more. Each sigh or gasp she released only made him hunger for the next until they were immersed in a sensual desire for one another, each urged on by the others actions.

With boundaries set, they were at ease with each other. However, the boundaries were clear, and they both knew what was too much. They knew when to say when, and soon, Jim had to.

"Um, Tabitha, we should stop now," he began. "Before I get too, erm, you know, invested in the idea."

They both flushed at the insinuation, but when they realized they were both blushing, they laughed quietly. Jim quickly kissed Tabitha before she rolled off of him, landing in his arm and resting her head on his chest. Jim heaved in deep breaths of air to reduce the rush that had overwhelmed him, calmed by the scent of Tabitha as she lingered close to him. She listened to Jim's heart steadily slow, then sighed contentedly. Jim smiled at the sound, then sighed himself.

"So was that anything like your dream?" she asked curiously.

"Not exactly, no" he laughed.

"Oh..."

There was a pause, and then he sighed. "I sound like a hormone-driven teenage boy, don't I?"

"You are a hormone-driven teenage boy," she laughed.

"Oh. Right," Jim said, his voice quiet from embarrassment.

"It's okay. I feel the same way."

Jim lifted his head to look down at her. "You do?"

"Yeah, of course," she said. "I woke you up in the middle of the night just so I could make-out with you. Remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Jim laughed. "Good thing, too. This was actually a lot better than my dream."

"Better?" Tabitha asked, lifting her head to look up at him.

"Yeah," he smiled, lightly kissing her. "Nothing beats getting to make-out with the most beautiful girl in the Etherium in real life."

Tabitha laughed and snuggled back against him. "Well thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it too."

"Mmm," Jim sighed as he closed his eyes. "Feel free to wake me up that way anytime."

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

_Later, I was walking alone through a deserted street, looking for something, or someone. I rushed down another street, taking turn after turn, trying to find somewhere to go, but there was nowhere. It was giant labyrinth of twists and turns but no doors, no windows, and no people. I took another turn, then another, and eventually ran into a dead end._

_"Tabitha..."_

_That voice - that familiar voice! But I didn't have time to think about it. My heart started pounding twice as fast when it sensed danger. I turned around and started to run, but was stopped by a shadowy figure. Before I could think of another move, I was pinned against the wall. _

_Suddenly, I was ten years old again. It was that man - the man with the green eyes._

_I tried to scream, but he placed a hand over my mouth. I fought with all I had, trying to escape his grasp, but he was too much for me. He looked me up and down once and laughed evilly. The hand that wasn't on my mouth was everywhere else on my body. I felt sick, and dizzy. His hands raced down my back, sides, arms, hips - the same way Jim had done, except much more forceful, more demanding. I tried to push away, but I couldn't. My dizziness increased as well as my nausea. He pressed himself against me, putting his lips close to my ear._

_"Where's that little boyfriend of yours to save you this time?"_

I woke up, shifted away from the arm wrapped around me, and jumped out of the bed all in one motion.

"Wha..." Jim mumbled groggily as he reached over to turn on the light. "Hmm? Tabitha? Tabitha!"

I stumbled sideways as the lightheaded feeling I had in my dream carried into real life. Jim threw the covers back and rushed to grab me.

"Don't touch me!" I said, pulling out of his grasp. "Damn," I muttered when I realized I was shaking. "Damn, damn, damn."

"What happened? Tabitha, what? What is it?" Jim asked in a panicked voice.

I couldn't say anything. I closed my eyes and tried to take deep breaths. That dream had been to real, much too real. _Just breathe, Tabitha. Just breathe..._ I sensed Jim standing next to me, but I had to calm down before I confronted him.

"Tabitha?" he asked quietly, his voice full of concern. He reached out to me again.

"I said don't touch me!" I cried.

Jim started back at my outburst. "I-I'm sorry."

I felt bad, but I couldn't focus on him right now. The touch in the dream had been too real. I couldn't bear to be touched by anyone right now.

"Nightmare," I finally explained.

"Stars above, Tabitha, what happened?" he asked again.

I raised my head to look at him, and suddenly realized I was only in my underwear. I blushed. I tried to tell myself it was only Jim, I had no reason to feel humiliated, but that dream had left me feeling all too exposed and vulnerable.

"Turn around," I pleaded.

"But, Tabitha - "

"Please, Jim," I begged. "I'll explain after that. Just please turn around."

He opened his mouth to argue, but quickly shut it and obliged to my request. Still shaking, I hastily grabbed some pants and a shirt and threw them on. I took a few more deep breaths then turned to Jim. "Okay. You can turn back around now."

"Tabitha, I - " he stopped when he took in my clothed appearance. I sighed and sat down on the bed and started twisting my hair around my finger nervously. Jim, unsure of what to make of everything, pulled on a pair of pants as well before sitting next to me, trying to leave enough distance between the two of us. "Please talk to me."

That achy feeling in my chest was there, but I pushed it down and ignored it. I could work on trying to figure out why I wasn't crying later._ I'm probably just too shocked_. I was glad I wasn't crying then; I knew Jim would comfort me and I honestly just couldn't stand to be touched.

"I-it was just a nightmare," I explained. "It was about the night that Silver saved me... in the alley..." I paused and Jim nodded, urging me to continue. "Except that he didn't save me this time. I-I was on my own, and..." Another deep breath. "And it was... so real. I-I could feel his hands touching me - "

"Whose hands?" Jim asked.

"Th-that man, that man with the g-green eyes," I stuttered. "He pinned me a-against the wall and I..."

"What happened?"

"H-he just had his hands all over me, and... Oh, God, Jim I could _feel_ him. It was _real_."

"It wasn't real," he said calmly, shifting slightly closer. "It was just a dream."

"No. No it wasn't. It wasn't just a dream."

"Tabitha - " he reached out to me and I reflexively flinched. He put his hand back down and sighed.

"I-I'm sorry, but i-it really got to me." _It's just Jim, Tabitha. It's Jim, not the man in the alley. It's Jim._

"I-I don't know... what to do," he admitted with a nervous laugh. "If I can't touch you or hold you or anything."

"I know, I'm sorry, it's not you, really," I apologized. "Please, I-I just can't right now. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Jim nodded. "Here, you can have the bed. I'll sleep in the chair."

"What? No, that's not... This is your bed. I'm not going to take it from you," I tried to reason.

"You're not taking it, I'm giving it to you," he smiled. "It's okay."

"No, I'll go back to my bed - "

"No, I want you to stay here. I want to be there to help you if you need it."

"But, Jim - "

"No. Just lie down," he ordered calmly. "It's almost morning anyway. I'll be fine."

I sighed, giving up trying to argue. It would be useless to fight with him over this. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he mumbled sleepily from across the room.

* * *

"We came to see how it was going," Charlotte explained. "If you'd had any luck yet."

"It's only been a week," Commodore Aldamae told her and Ivan.

"Well how long do you need?" Ivan asked Tabitha.

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "I don't know. It's not as if I have a whole lot to go on here. I know I'm their daughter, but I was completely clueless about all of this until a few weeks ago."

"We know, Tabitha. It's okay," Charlotte assure her. "We're just eager."

"Wait, I have an idea," Jim spoke up. "Since you're both here, why don't we all work on it together. Maybe if we brainstorm as a group, we can figure something out."

"Jim, I don't think that's such - " the commodore began.

"A marvelous idea!" Ivan interrupted.

Moments later, they'd gathered up all of their friends and every one was crowded around the table in the galley. Tabitha took a deep breath and unfolded the papers, then took the watch necklace off and laid it down on the table.

"Wow," Graham said. "What is all of that?"

He was referring to the various charts and numbers and letters and diagrams that littered most of the paper.

Tabitha sighed. "I have no idea. I'm guessing it was my dads way of figuring out the clues that my grandfather left, but none of it makes any sense to me."

"But that doesn't matter, right?" Jim asked. "Aren't we just concerned with the last clue?"

"I guess so, but I thought maybe understanding the rest of it might help us understand it," Tabitha explained.

August shook his head. "I don't think there's anyway to know what all of that means."

"I agree," Ivan spoke up. "Let's just focus on the last clue. We'll backtrack later if need be."

"Okay," Tabitha agreed. She pointed to three lines of hastily scribbled writing.

**pocket watch to chest**  
**2 7 3  
10 35 15  
1200**

"What the bloody hell is that?" Cason asked.

"I have no idea," Tabitha sighed, sinking down into a chair.

"Well... let's work through it one step at a time," Commodore Aldamae suggested. "Pocket watch to chest."

"You... keep a pocket watch close to your chest?" Rylee guessed, unsure of her answer.

Everyone thought about it for a moment, but no one else had any ideas either.

"That's the only meaning I could get out of it as well," Tabitha sighed.

"Skip to the numbers," Landon insisted. "2, 7, 3..."

"Is there a pattern?" Theodore asked.

"I don't think so," Tabitha said. "But check again if you want."

Everyone leaned in and stared at them, attempting to multiply and divide, add and subtract, but no pattern could be found.

"What if..." Charlotte began, surveying the numbers.

"What?" Jim asked.

"What if... you're supposed to read it top to bottom?" she suggested. "2, 10, 7, 35, 3, 15 - "

"But then how would 1200 fit into that?" Landon asked.

"They're times!" Theodore suddenly shouted, then blushed when everyone turned to look at him.

"No, wait, you're right!" August agreed. "2:10, 7:35, 3:15, and 12:00 - those are all times!"

Tabitha smacked her forehead. "I cannot _believe_ I didn't see that."

Commodore Aldamae patted her shoulder. "It's okay."

"I hadn't thought of it before either, Tabitha, and I've had those clues for years," Charlotte assured her.

"Okay, so they're times," Rylee said. "Now what?"

"Try turning the watch to those times," Cason suggested.

Tabitha picked it up and twisted it around to 2:10, then 7:35, then 3:15, then 12, but nothing happened on any of them. "Nope."

"Maybe they aren't times," Theodore said dejectedly.

"No, I think you're right," Charlotte said. "That makes sense, with the watch."

"But what are we supposed to do with them?" Jim asked.

The group sat there for hours, attempting to crack the code, but the best they could figure of the numbers was times as Theodore had suggested. Everything else was a mystery. Morph showed up about half way through the afternoon, and everybody gave up. There was no way to concentrate with that mischievous little blob around.

"Well... it's a good start," Charlotte said as they headed back up to the deck.

"Yeah, no thanks to me," Tabitha said sadly.

"Oh, don't be like that now, my dear," Ivan said.

"Yes, Tabitha, I agree," Commodore Aldamae said. "Don't be discouraged. You're a bright young girl. You'll be able to crack it in no time at all."

Tabitha smiled halfheartedly and waved goodbye to Charlotte and Ivan.

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

"I just feel so stupid!" Tabitha repeated for the hundredth time.

"You are _not_ stupid. It's okay."

"No it isn't," she whined. "My parents left this for me to figure out and I'm too stupid to even figure out that numbers associated with a watch have to do with times! Ugh!" She sank down onto the bed.

I laughed quietly as I started to undress. "Tabitha, don't worry. We're not even sure if the numbers are times - "

"What else could they be?" she snapped.

"I don't know! But we tried them on the watch and nothing happened. Maybe that's not what they are after all."

She fell back against the pillow and closed her eyes. "I still don't feel great about it."

An idea sparked in my mind. Well, perhaps sparked isn't the best word. More like the spark had been going on since I'd woken up that morning and remembered all that had happened the night before, it had ignited when Tabitha had changed into one of my shirts to sleep in, and now that she was spread out across the bed like that, there was a fire going.

I smirked and crawled into bed beside her, pulling the covers up over both of us. "Maybe I can do something to make you feel better." She laughed quietly, but kept her eyes closed. I leaned down and kissed her. "Better?"

"Not yet," she smirked.

I laughed and kissed her again. "Now?" I whispered, pulling back only slightly from the kiss.

"Not quite..."

I kissed her again and she pulled me to her, wrapping her arms around my neck. I pulled her closer to me and my hands started to wander. Everything was perfect... until I put my hand on her thigh. She tensed suddenly and jerked away.

"What?" I asked. _She's never had a problem with that before._

"I-I'm sorry," she explained. "You just... startled me."

"Oh... ah, sorry?" I answered tentatively.

She nodded and I pulled her back to me, but eased up a little. I moved my hands upwards, but again she flinched and pulled back.

"I'm sorry!" she said before I could say anything.

"What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing. You're not doing anything wrong - "

"Then why do you keep pulling away?" I asked in frustration.

She sat up and I sighed, convinced that this wasn't going any further tonight.

"I'm sorry, but..." She started to twist her hair. "But it just feels too much like the dream."

"The dream?" I asked. _Damn it. I'd forgotten all about that damn dream._ "You mean the dream you had last night?"

"Yeah..."

"But... Tabitha, it's me. Not that man in the alley."

"I know it's you, but I just can't stop thinking about him. I know you aren't him, I know you aren't trying to hurt me, but... it just feels too similar. I'm sorry."

I sighed and ran my fingers through my bangs. "If it feels similar, then maybe you only had the dream because of what happened right before you went to sleep. Maybe it was me all along."

She shook her head. "No. No, it wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?"

"It was just different! I don't know," she said hopelessly. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry," I snapped at her.

"But I am sor - "

"I know you are, but I'm not mad at you. You don't have to apologize."

"You sound mad," she said quietly.

I sighed and sat up. "I'm not mad. I'm frustrated, and disappointed."

She hung her head and bit her lip. I didn't understand. I knew the dream had been bad, but hadn't she had dreams similar to this recently? They'd never affected her before. The first nightmare she'd had was kind of like this, and she'd said it felt real, but she didn't have any problems after that. I reached out and grabbed her hand, and was glad that she didn't shy away. She looked back up at me and sighed, as if she was almost on the verge of tears. _Even if she is, I can't do anything to help if I'm not allowed to touch more than her hand._

"I just can't do it, Jim," she said quietly. "Not tonight."

"Alright, but you certainly aren't making it easy for me to stop you know," I teased lightly.

She blushed. "What do you mean?"

"I've told you how before how hot I think you look in my clothes."

I expected her to laugh it off, but she did the opposite. She froze and bit her lip as she looked away. Then she released my hand and stood up.

"What?" I questioned. "What did I do now?"

"You... I just..." She sighed. "I just can't even... I can't even think something like that."

"Something like what?" I mumbled confusedly as she pulled on a pair of pants._ Great. I try to make a joke to ease the tension, and she takes it the wrong way and puts on more clothes. _I sighed and stood up to put on pants and a shirt as well.

"Being affectionate," she explained as she laid back down. "I just can't do it. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," I repeated in exasperation as I climbed back into bed too.

"Okay, then... goodnight."

I smiled a little. "Goodnight."

She rolled over in the opposite direction and I felt like that fire I'd had going had just been doused by a bucket of ice water.

* * *

**Haha... I love it when Tabitha takes control like she did in the beginning. And what's with that dream? And the clue? And poor Jim.**

**Hmm, I sense some drama. And I'm very sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that's the last of any romance between Jim & Tabitha - WAIT! Let me finish the sentence! - _for a while_. Don't worry. I believe in happy endings... just with a lot of drama before them.  
**

**By the way: Comments are as good as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, so be sure to leave a dozen!**  
**(Not literally. I mean, unless you want to... Never mind, I'm tired. Just go with it.)**

**Thank you!  
-Emily  
**


	34. At Wit's End

**I hope this chapter doesn't sound to rushed. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

5 more days of staring uselessly at the papers went by.

They'd gone to meet with Charlotte and Ivan a few times, each time repeating the same process: they would be welcomed in, accept refreshments, then they would all sit and stare at the papers in almost complete science, not able to come up with any new ideas, then Tabitha and Jim would leave again, absolutely no closer than they were when they arrived.

There was no pattern, no code, no nothing. It was one line of writing, then three lines of numbers. That was it.

Tabitha didn't have a clue what any of it meant, and she got more and more hopeless as the days went by. Not only that, but she was sick again. Nausea, dizziness, fevers - Tabitha could come up with no diagnosis except possibly a cold... one that just wouldn't go away. Her illness wasn't the only thing that hadn't abated; this dream had turned out to be a recurring one as well. Each night, she had it again, and each night, her fears increased.

Jim wasn't much better off. Because of Tabitha's dreams, she was still reluctant to be touched at all, even by him. He tried to be understanding about it, but inside, he knew it was bothering him more than he should let it. It wasn't her fault, he knew, but he wanted to help. When she woke up in the middle of the night because of another nightmare, he wanted to be able to hold her until she calmed down, not sit back and stare at her until she eventually fell back to sleep alone.

With Tabitha sick and tired and Jim unable to help her, tensions were starting to run high. Each time she rejected Jim's help, they both became a little more exasperated with the whole situation. Not only that, but they still had their disagreements on who to trust. Though each could see the others reasons for trusting the opposite person, they remained loyal to what they'd originally thought - Jim thought Ivan's story was easier to believe, while Tabitha remained loyal to Silver nonetheless.

Tabitha and Jim weren't the only one's taking sides; their friends were as well. Everyone was just waiting - waiting for the clue to be solved, waiting to find out who they were supposed to be trusting, waiting for anything that would relieve the ship of this heavy, pressing feeling.

5 days of all that was leading nowhere fast.

* * *

"This makes no damn sense!" Tabitha shouted.

"Tabitha, calm down," Jim consoled. "Look, we'll take a break for a little while and come back to it later. Okay?"

Tabitha groaned but stood up and left with Jim to go to the galley. Expecting to find all their friends, they were surprised when only Commodore Aldamae and Morph were there. Morph flitted over to them excitedly and the commodore looked up from his cup of coffee when they entered.

"Any luck?" he asked expectantly.

"Still no," Tabitha sighed in exasperation. Morph mimicked her sigh, then licked her face happily.

"We're just taking a break," Jim added. "Where is everyone?

"Graham, Theodore, and August are sightseeing," Commodore Aldamae explained.

"Sightseeing on Lacuna? That shouldn't take long," Tabitha said.

The commodore laughed. "Landon, Cason, and Rylee are out on a date, I'm assuming with Isabelle as well."

"Wow, is that serious?" Tabitha asked. "I thought it was just going to be a fling, like it was with the other boys."

"I don't think so," the commodore answered. "He seems to genuinely care about her."

Morph nodded and transformed into a tiny version of the couple holding hands.

"Landon's not the type to just have a fling with a girl anyway," Jim said as he poured two glasses of purp juice, passing one to Tabitha as he took a seat next to her at the table.

"Well then, clues and fortune aside, how are you?" Commodore Aldamae changed the subject. Tabitha shrugged, and the he frowned. "Any more nightmares?"

Tabitha opened her mouth to say something, then closed it and looked to Jim. He didn't shake his head, but his gaze made it clear he thought it better not to mention it. Tabitha's eyes fell back down to her glass of juice and she stayed silent.

The commodore eyed the pair warily, then sighed. "Tabitha, Jim, you know I'm here on - "

"On behalf of Silver," Jim finished for him. "We know."

"Then you understand that I'm here to help you. You can trust me."

Neither of them could meet his gaze, but their faces made it clear what had happened.

"Unless... you don't trust Silver," he added.

Tabitha looked up and opened her mouth again, like she was about to object, but Jim reached out and grabbed her arm and she stopped again. Morph whimpered worriedly, sensing something wasn't right.

"I see," Commodore Aldamae sighed, then nodded seriously. "Well then... I guess there's nothing else to be said."

When the commodore was gone, Morph turned into a tiny version of Silver, then back into himself with a sad sniffle.

"I miss him too, Morph," Tabitha agreed, petting the shapeshifter.

"How can you miss someone who's trying to hurt you?" Jim asked her

"Hey, Morph, go... play with Rylee," Tabitha ordered the blob. Morph looked puzzled, but obeyed. "Jim," she turned to Jim, looking aggravated. "We don't know that."

"Except we have Ivan's story. You said yourself that it made sense," he tried to reason. "And then he stood up for you that night at the Darcy's. Do you think that's something someone who wanted you dead would do?"

"I don't know, Jim."

That had been Tabitha's answer a lot lately - I don't know - because she didn't. She didn't know if trusting Silver was smart. She didn't know if Ivan actually was the good guy. She didn't know.

"Until I have solid proof that there's a reason we shouldn't be trusting him and Commodore Aldamae, I'm still taking their side," she concluded.

Jim sighed heavily. "Fine. We'll figure it out later."

Jim had adopted this answer a lot lately as well - we'll figure it out later. What other choice did he have? He was trying to avoid a fight, and all they could do was wait for the truth to come out.

Tabitha took a deep breath and turned to Jim. "I need to go to my house."

"I, uh... what?"

"I need to go back to my house," she repeated. "Maybe there's something there that can help me..."

She started to say "that can help me figure this out", but she stopped. In actuality, she just needed to go there; perhaps literally facing her past would help.

"Okay. Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"I didn't say I wanted to, I said I needed to," she responded as she stood up to leave.

Jim got up and followed her. "Should we get everyone else?"

"No," she responded definitely.

He narrowed his eyes. "You know I'm going - "

"Yes," she said in exasperation. "You want to keep me safe. I know."

"Well excuse me for caring," he mumbled.

"What?"

"Forget it."

"I..." she started to complain, then sighed. "I'm sorry."

He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "I know. Let's go."

"Shouldn't we tell the commodore? Or at least leave a note?"

"I don't think so," Jim said.

"But..." she paused. It would be a useless battle; Jim didn't want to trust Commodore Aldamae. Nothing Tabitha had said so far had changed that, and nothing else would either. "Alright, but there's one more thing."

"What?"

She took a deep breath. "Don't let me back out of this."

Jim stared at her, perplexed by her request. "Why would you back out?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I've been a bit overwhelmed lately," she began nervously. "And this might be too much."

* * *

Tabitha's house was only about four hours away by hovercab, and they made it there by early afternoon. They climbed out together and the cab sped away behind them.

They were standing at the edge of a path overgrown with grass by this point. At the end of the path were three steps, leading up to a front porch. On the other side of the front porch, there was nothing but the door standing between them and the home Tabitha hadn't seen since the day she left when she was ten.

"Jim?" The call was almost inaudible.

"Hmm?"

There was a long pause while Tabitha debated what she needed to say. "I'm scared."

Shocked, Jim turned to face her. She turned to him, her face full of fear and anxiety, and Jim understood what she meant. It wasn't necessarily an apology, more of a request - put everything else aside for now. Jim decided to take a risk. With his gaze fixed on hers, he reached over and loosely grabbed her hand, making it clear she could pull away if she was uncomfortable. However, he couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief when she tightly squeezed his hand.

Almost in a dream, they walked toward the house - over the the parched brown weeds on the path, up to the creaky front porch, across to the door. Tabitha turned to face Jim, and he nodded reassuringly. Tabitha nodded in return. She reached out to the doorknob, took a deep breath, and turned.

The door swung open, and Jim got his first glimpse of the house. What appeared to be a sitting room - a couch, a couple of chairs, a table - and to the right, a swinging door. At the back was a staircase and another door. Jim turned to Tabitha as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's... it's perfect... exactly how I remember..."

They crossed the threshold together and took their first steps into the house, leaving footprints in the years of accumulated dust as they entered the room.

"This... this is where you grew up," Jim stated.

"Yeah," Tabitha laughed sadly. "Everything looks so... small."

Jim watched as she carefully paced across the sitting room, as if having to think about every move she made, and exited through the door on the right side of the room. Seconds later, she reappeared.

"Are you coming?" she smiled.

Jim shook his head to clear his thoughts then followed after her. They were standing in a kitchen, one that would have been immaculately clean if not for the dust. Tabitha reached down and placed her hand on the table.

"This is where my dad gave me the pocket watch..." she muttered.

She lifted her hand again, leaving behind a perfect print of her hand. She stared at it for a moment, then turned back around to face Jim.

"Upstairs?" she asked.

Jim grinned. "It's your house."

Their steps up the stairs were as slow and tedious as all there others had been. When they reached the top, they were standing at the end of a hallway with two doors on the right and one on the left.

"Washroom," Tabitha mumbled as she opened the first door on their right. "Parent's bedroom."

They stopped in front of the first door on the left. Tabitha took another deep breath, then entered the room. A bed, with tables on each side, and a trunk at the foot of it; two windows, a dresser, a closet, a vanity with a chair - it appeared to be simply a bedroom.

"If we're going to find anything," Tabitha began. "I'm guessing it will be in here."

They separated and began cautiously searching the room, calling out anything they found to one another... or the lack of anything to find, as it were. Nothing in the vanity, the dresser, or the table...

"I can't get this trunk open," Jim said as he surveyed it. "There isn't a handle, or anywhere to put a key." He puzzled over it for a second, then looked up to Tabitha. She apparently hadn't even heard his statements. She was looking down dreamily into the drawer of one of the bedside tables. "Did you find something?"

"Hmm? Oh. No," she said, seeming to remember what they were doing there. "It's just my mom's diaries."

"Anything in them that might help?"

Tabitha shook her head. "I don't think so. I read them a lot when I was a kid. I had them almost committed to memory..." She picked one up and flipped through it. "No. Most of these were written before the whole treasure hunt even started. They're just diaries." She carefully placed it back in the drawer. "I guess that means there's only one place left to look."

Tabitha walked over to the closet, her step more determined now, and pulled open the door. She rummaged through the clothes for a second, then sighed.

"Jim, come here," she requested. "You're taller than me. Is there anything on the shelf?"

Jim peered over the edge of the shelf. "Ah... no.."

Tabitha sighed. Her fingers absentmindedly touched the clothes, until she stopped suddenly.

"What is it?" Jim asked.

"Nothing. Just..." she pulled the item out of the closet. "This was my dad's."

The statement was obvious, but Jim recognized the hidden meaning as well - this jacket reminds me of my dad, it brings me closer to him. He could relate. The jacket in question was olive green, a bit worse for wear, but still in good condition. Tabitha shook it and held it out in front of her, a debate playing on in her head. Finally, she bit her lip and pulled it on. It was too large for her, but it brought a level of closeness to her father that she hadn't felt in years.

She looked down at it, then laughed. "How do I look?"

Jim smiled. He knew the question was a joke, but he couldn't stop himself from whispering the word, "beautiful," unheard by Tabitha.

"Could I take this with me?" she asked worriedly.

Jim shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Tabitha looked down at it, then took a deep breath and zipped it up. "Alright, time to go."

"Wait," Jim interjected as he followed Tabitha out of the room. "What about this room?" Jim put his hand on the doorknob and started to open it.

"Don't!" Tabitha shouted.

Jim jerked his hand back. "Sorry. What is it?"

"It's... my room."

"So why aren't we going in there?"

Tabitha fiddled with the sleeves of her new coat. "I-I don't think there's going to be anything to do with the treasure in there."

"Tabitha," Jim sighed. "You know as well as I do that the treasure isn't the only reason you needed to come here."

She looked up at him, but didn't object. Jim walked over to where she stood at the top of the staircase and grabbed her hand. He didn't pull on her, he just waited, and eventually she sighed and walked with him to the room. She didn't pause as she did at the other doors; she opened the door quickly, as if she just wanted to get it over with.

She walked toward the center of the room and took it all in. Her bed, her open closet, a bookshelf loaded down with books, and, in front of the window, a desk with a chair - that was all that was there, and yet Tabitha felt as if the room was overcrowded, pressing in on her. Jim curiously looked around, before his gaze stopped on her open closet; only when he spotted how small her clothes were did he realize how young Tabitha was when she went out on her own. As he comprehended more of everything Tabitha had gone through, he gained a new found respect for her.

Tabitha picked up a small box from the desk and, brushing off the dust with her sleeve, she twisted the knob on the back. She sat it back down and opened the lid, and a quiet tune drifted out. Jim turned around as he instantly recognized the melody as the first song he had ever heard her sing, back on the _Legacy_.

Despite the coat, Tabitha shivered. Jim approached her and easily rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't feel good..." she mumbled, and they both knew she wasn't simply talking about her illness.

She held his gaze for a second, then sat down on her bed. Jim hesitated to follow, but did, taking a seat next to her. As soon as he did, Tabitha fell against his chest. He started, then slowly wrapped his arms around her, making sure not to startle her. While his hand traced her back in soothing motions, he closed his eyes and leaned his head against hers.

* * *

Jim was the first to wake back up. The first thing he noticed is that it was now pitch black. He had fallen asleep sitting against the headboard while Tabitha had fallen asleep with her head on his abdomen. He smiled and gently rubbed her arm.

"Hey, wake up."

Tabitha groaned unhappily and shifted, but didn't wake up. Jim was half tempted to go back to sleep himself, if Tabitha was content on staying this close to him, but he knew they couldn't. They had to get back to the ship.

"Tabitha," he whispered. "Wake up. We have to go."

"Go?" Tabitha mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah. We have to go back to the ship."

"The ship?"

"Yeah," Jim laughed at how dazed she was.

"But I'm tired..." she whimpered.

Jim sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. He was struck with an idea he was almost positive wouldn't fly, but he attempted it anyway. "I'll carry you."

"Okay."

Jim blanched. "Really?"

"I'm tired," she repeated.

Jim smiled again and carefully pulled away from her so he could stand up. He couldn't help that his heart rate increased when she wrapped her arms around his neck once he'd lifted her; it had been almost a week since she'd last done that, but it had felt like a lifetime.

Once Jim had managed to hail a cab and awkwardly situated Tabitha and himself inside of it, Tabitha rested against him again. Jim gave the driver their destination, then looked down at Tabitha. As tired as he was, there was no way he was going to fall asleep as well. He was just fine watching her.

Her hand that had rested on his chest slowly slid down to his leg as she drifted further and further into sleep. He took her hand in his and softly rubbed the back of it with his thumb. Tabitha smiled and sighed dreamily. Jim looked down at her. He had no idea if his actions had caused that, but he grinned nonetheless.

The next three and half hours were perfect, for both of them. Tabitha slept amazingly well, and Jim felt content. It was as if the trip to her house had created some kind of safe-place for them, where it was only them, and nothing else mattered. In this haven, the fortune and everything to do with it was forgotten. They weren't having a disagreement, they weren't exasperated, they weren't tired - they were simply together.

It was all fine, until the arm Jim had wrapped around Tabitha absentmindedly slipped down to around her stomach. Tabitha jumped, jerking away from the touch and Jim. They stared at each other awkwardly for a second. Tabitha sighed apologetically, and Jim returned a halfhearted smile. They sighed and turned to look out opposite windows, each absorbed in their own tedious thoughts. Now they were back to the real world, back to the danger and the questions, the distrust and the anxiety.

After that last tense half hour, they finally arrived back at their ship. It didn't take long for them to figure out something was wrong; even from the bottom of the plank, they could hear shouting. Panicked, they looked to each other, then rushed up to the deck.

Commodore Aldamae was standing across from all their other friends, involved in a shouting match.

"HEY!" Jim shouted over everyone else. Everyone stopped and turned to face the two new arrivals. "What is going on?"

"Where the hell have you been?" Cason asked.

"We went to Tabitha's home to see if we could find something."

"Thanks for letting us know!" Graham said angrily. "We kind of needed you here."

"Why? What happened?" Tabitha asked.

"Tabitha! Jim! Please, let me explain!" Commodore Aldamae begged.

"Explain what?" Tabitha asked.

"Theodore found this," August explained, tossing Jim a sphere about the size of his hand. A light flashed on the top of it.

"It's a tracking device," Graham explained. "He set it up so someone could follow us."

"Follow us?" Tabitha repeated. "Who?"

Jim observed it, then glared up at the commodore. "Fine. Explain."

The commodore took a deep breath. "Yes, I admit, I did set it up, but it was to help you. When Silver contacted me and explained that you would be trying to find a fortune, we expected that to involve trekking to different locations. Silver wanted to be able to follow you, to keep track of you, and be there if - Heaven forbid - anything went wrong. Silver is the only person who's been following you."

"So he's here?" Tabitha asked excitedly.

"Yes, he is. I've been meeting with him every few days to discuss the progress you've made."

"That's great! Can you take me to - "

"You told me you weren't in contact with Silver anymore," Jim interrupted.

"I-I did, yes," the commodore stumbled to explain. "He didn't want you to know."

"Why?"

"He was convinced you didn't want him here."

Jim glowered at Commodore Aldamae. "He's right. We don't."

"Jim!" Tabitha turned on him.

"And we don't want you here either," Jim added, ignoring Tabitha's interjection.

Every person on deck had an outcry of some kind - some in favor, some against - but Jim held up a hand to stop them all.

"He's been lying to us," Jim explained. "We've had a hard time believing Silver's side since the beginning, but this does it. He set up a tracking device so that Silver could follow us, and meanwhile has been feeding him information. He's been lying since the moment we met."

"Jim, stop it!" Tabitha shouted. "Stop blaming Silver! He's only trying to - "

"Tabitha, I'm sorry you don't want to believe that Silver is really the bad guy in this situation, but face the facts! What more proof do you need?"

"Don't yell at her," Graham interrupted. "She's right."

"Don't tell me what to do," Jim said.

"I agree with Jim," Cason said. "Silver's side never seemed reliable, and now we find out the commodore's been lying to us the whole time - "

"But they've only been lying because Silver cared about Tabitha!" Rylee said. "He thought she didn't want him here, but he still wanted her to be safe."

"Or dead," August said. "Maybe Silver's just been waiting for the opportune moment to show back up and steal the fortune."

"Then wouldn't he have just stayed with her? It would have been much easier that way," Theodore said.

"Not if he was trying to avoid suspicion," Landon added. "He was trying to respect her wishes."

"Look, we can go back and forth on what or may not be going on all day, or we can look at what we do know," Jim interrupted. "Silver is a pirate - "

"Was a pirate!" Tabitha corrected.

" - and he's spent a better part of his life searching for treasures," Jim ignored her. "Why would he care about some random orphan girl he picked up off the street?"

"The same reason he would care about some random cabin boy that got stuck with him on a voyage!" Tabitha shouted.

That comment struck Jim hard, but he stubbornly refused to back down now. "Ivan is your godfather. Your parents trusted him enough to tell him all about the fortune and leave him in charge of their only daughter. Now who seems more likely to be out to kill you and steal the fortune?"

Everyone looked around, waiting for someone to object, but no one did. Everyone knew Jim's logic was right. It did make more sense.

Commodore Aldamae took a deep breath. "Tabitha - "

She turned to look at him, her face filled with worry.

"I think it's clear that I'm not wanted here, at least not by some. I think it will be best if I leave peacefully."

"Yeah, I think so," Jim said fiercely.

Tabitha looked at Commodore Aldamae, silently begging him not to go, but Jim's glare beat her out. The commodore nodded demurely, then left. Jim turned back and looked at the others before his eyes finally landed on Tabitha. She shook her head, then left, pushing past his shoulder as she rushed after the Commodore. Graham then rushed after her.

"Nice going," Rylee said to Jim. "How could you do that to her?"

"He didn't do a damn thing to her," Cason turned on her. "This all Silver's fault."

"Don't curse at her," Theodore said, stepping between the two. "She's only trying to stick up for her friend."

"Shut up, Theodore! No one asked you," he said, shoving the smaller boy to the side.

"Don't push him!" August said, pushing Cason.

Cason pushed him back, and Landon stepped up to intervene. "Nobody push anybody! Fighting isn't going to help!"

"Landon's right," Jim intervened. "Fighting isn't going to - "

"No one wants to listen to you right now," Rylee turned on him.

"Rylee, you don't have a right to speak for everybody," August said. "I would like to hear more of what Jim has to - "

"No one wants to listen to you either," Theodore interrupted.

August was flabbergasted by his brother's interruption, and stopped talking, finally bringing a silence over the group. Jim sighed and turned around and found Graham and Tabitha were back on deck.

"What did he say to you?" he asked.

"What do you care?" Tabitha asked.

"I care because I'm trying to protect you! What part of that do you not understand?"

"The part where you believed Ivan instead of Silver!"

"What? I'm not allowed to have different opinions just because we're dating?" he yelled at her.

"No, but you should at least respect mine!" she shouted back. "You keep saying you want to help, and then you pull a move like that - "

"That had to be done, Tabitha! You know I'm right! Silver has lied to you before and he's just doing it again!"

"You don't know that! We're only guessing! I want to believe Silver!"

"That doesn't make sense!"

"It doesn't have to make sense!"

"Tabitha, listen to me - " Jim said, reaching out to her.

Graham immediately stepped in between them both and stopped him. "Stop, Jim. Don't touch her."

"I'm not going to hurt her!" Jim said, trying to push him to the side.

"I didn't say you were!" Graham said. "But you need to calm down."

"Graham, it isn't your place to interfere," Landon said.

"I'm trying to help!" Graham said.

"You can help by getting out of my way," Jim told him, trying to push him aside again.

"Jim, just calm down!"

"No! This doesn't involve you! I'm trying to talk to Tabitha!"

"You're yelling! That's not going to help anything!"

"Neither does this! I don't - "

"Would you shut up for just a minute and - "

"You shut up! And get the hell off me!"

Jim pushed Graham away, but it was harder than he thought. Graham stumbled back, but immediately reached out and attempted to grab him again. Jim fought his grasp, and before anyone could comprehend what had just happened, they had tackled each other to the ground. It was a fairly even fight, but rough nonetheless. Amidst the wrestling match, everyone tried their best to force them to stop. It was only when they actually started to swing at each other that anyone intervened.

Tabitha rushed forward as the two pushed themselves off the ground. "Stop it!"

They ignored her, so Landon stepped forward too. "You guys! Chill out!"

Graham and Jim lunged forward, their hands meeting each others collars at the same time. Tabitha and Landon stood on opposite sides, trying to push them apart. Graham and Jim were moving about wildly, trying to shake everyone off. Someone's arm swung outward and connected with Tabitha, knocking her to the ground.

That put an end to everything. The silence was completely deafening as six pairs of eyes turned to face her. Tabitha stared at the ground, as if unable to comprehend how she'd ended up there. Rylee was the one who finally rushed forward and helped her up.

"What is wrong with you two?!" Rylee asked Graham and Jim.

"Rylee, stop interfering!" Cason said to her.

"Stop yelling at her!" Theodore said.

"Everyone stop it!" Landon shouted, causing the group to freeze once again. "What the hell, you guys?" Now they knew it was serious; it took a lot to get Landon to curse. "I know we disagree about this, but stars above, there's no reason to be at each others throats about it! Just agree to disagree for now."

"We can't," August said. "Tabitha's life is on the line."

"Exactly," Landon said. "That's why we have to stay together. It doesn't matter who's out to get her, only that someone is and we have to be there for her. All of us - " he sent Jim and Graham a pointed look. "Even if we disagree."

Jim and Graham sighed while Rylee attempted to verify that Tabitha was alright. She nodded and dusted herself off, then turned to face everyone.

"We're going home."

"What?!" everyone shouted.

"I'm done, you guys," Tabitha shrugged with a sad sort of laugh. "I'm done. I'm not going to let you guys kill each other over me."

"It's not over - " Graham began.

"It is, Graham. It really is," she interrupted. "When it all boils down to it, I'm the root of all these problems. I'm the reason Silver's gone in the first place. I'm the reason that someone's out to get me and my family's fortune. I'm the reason we're all fighting. It's all my fault, and I'm done."

"No, Tabitha," Rylee tried to reassure her. "It isn't your fault."

"Yeah, no one's blaming you," Cason agreed.

"I know you guys aren't, but..." Tabitha sighed. "It's true. I'm finished. We're going home."

"No we aren't," Jim said.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"I'm the captain," he said forcefully. "And I say we're not going home."

Tabitha gaped at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"I agree," Graham mumbled. "I thought you were gong to do what Tabitha wanted to do. That's what you've been saying all along, isn't it?"

"Before you all start telling me how wrong I am, will you listen to my reasoning?" Jim asked. "We can't just leave halfway through this. If someone's out to get her and the fortune, do you honestly think they'll just give up if we leave Lacuna? No, they'll follow us. She started this, and now she has to finish it."

"Well I'm not going to," Tabitha explained.

"You have to. You don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice, Jim! You just don't seem to understand that!" Tabitha shouted. "I'm. Not. Doing It."

"Now who's being difficult?" he accused.

"I'm not being difficult! You're being stubborn!"

"I'm not stubborn, I'm the captain!"

"If you want to be the captain, then you'd damn well better step up and start acting like one instead of just a pushy, controlling jerk!"

Jim paused, caught off guard by the insult. "I'm only trying to protect you."

"I don't want you to protect me anymore!"

Jim closed his mouth and simply stared at her for a moment before he spoke in a much lower tone. "You don't want me to protect you anymore?"

"I..." Tabitha began confusedly.

Jim held up his hands in defeat. "Fine."

"Wait, Jim, I..."

He started to leave, but she rushed after him. When she grabbed his arm however, he shook her off and kept walking, not even turning around. She watched him walk away and climb into the shrouds then sighed and hung her head. Behind her, everyone else slowly departed, until only she, Rylee, and Graham were left on deck.

"Tabitha..." Rylee began cautiously as she approached her.

Tabitha spun around. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing," Graham said.

"Yes it is. Why? Why do I have to be like this?"

"It's not you," Rylee consoled. "Everyone's stressed out right now."

"Don't worry. It will be all okay. We all just need to cool down for a little while," Graham added.

"Thanks, you guys," Tabitha sighed as she hugged them both. "Thank you for agreeing with me even though it makes no sense."

"Well it's like you said," Rylee smiled. "It doesn't have to make sense."

"I'm sorry about you and Cason."

Rylee shrugged and looked down. "It's not your fault. We'll work it out."

Tabitha nodded as she watched her friend walk down to the crew's quarters.

"Well... I guess going to go get some ice for my jaw," Graham said, rubbing his cheek. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Sorry you and Jim had a fight."

"Right back at you. And I'm sorry we knocked you down, too," he apologized right back. "It shouldn't have come to that."

She smiled as they each started to leave in opposite directions.

"And Tabitha?"

She turned back around to face him. "Yes?"

"You and Jim will be fine, don't worry," he smiled. "You two were meant to be together."

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

**Dear Diary,  
**

**Meant to be together? What the hell does that even mean? The commodore said that Silver and Abby were meant to be together, and look where they are. "Meant to be together" doesn't mean you will be together.**

**What is wrong with me? This is beyond just sick and tired. This has nothing to do with the fact that I have a headache right now. This isn't because I didn't get enough sleep last night. This is all happening because there's something wrong with me. It doesn't matter what anyone says, this is my fault. I'm the one who wanted to go on this trip. I'm the one who yelled at Silver and made him leave in the first place. I'm the one that decided going after the fortune would be a good idea. I'm the reason all our friends are fighting. I'm the reason Jim is tired and stressed out.  
**

**I can't believe I went off on Jim like that. He's been so patient and tried so hard to be there for me, and I just told him I didn't want him to. "I don't want you to protect me anymore". That's exactly what I said. What the hell is my problem? I don't want that at all. I wish I didn't have to constantly have a bodyguard, but Jim feels like it's his job to protect me. I know that! I've always known that! I should understand it by now. I asked him to respect my opinions while meanwhile I haven't respected his. I've never seen him look so hurt before. I might as well have said I didn't love him anymore.**

I closed my diary. I felt like I wasn't even there anymore. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know how to get myself out of this mess without hurting someone.

Jim suddenly entered the room, still looking unhappy. _As he has every right to be._

"Jim," I breathed. "I'm sorry. I never should have said that. I'm so sor - "

"Please," Jim begged impatiently. "Just stop apologizing."

"But don't I need to?"

Jim sighed then turned around and grabbed his bag. "Forget it."

"But - "

"No! Tabitha, I can't do this right now."

"Can't do what? Can't talk to me?"

"No. Not tonight."

I watched him as he threw his belongings into the bag. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm the captain," he explained bitterly. "I'm going to stay in the captain's suite."

"So..." I began nervously, unsure of what this meant. "I can't stay with you anymore?"

He turned to face me. His voice was dark, but calm. "Why would you need to? You don't want my protection anymore, right?"

I bit my lip. I couldn't believe this. I tried to apologize, and this is what happened. "Just go."

Without a moment's hesitation, he turned and left the room. I instantly recalled what the commodore had said as he was leaving.

* * *

_"Wait!"_

_"Tabitha, I have to go," he said._

_"Where are you going?" I asked as Graham joined us._

_Commodore Aldamae sighed. "Silver is staying at the Half-Moon Inn. I suppose I'll be joining him."_

_"Where is that?" Graham asked. "In case we need you."_

_"It's easy enough to find. Head west about seven blocks, then north about two. However, it's located in the more shady area of town," he explained. "Please, please, don't come try to find us unless it's an absolute emergency. I'll talk to Silver and we'll contact you."_

_"When?" Graham asked._

_"Soon," he answered._

_"Tell him I miss him," I begged._

_"He knows, my dear," Commodore Aldamae said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "He misses you as well. You'll be reunited soon."_

* * *

Was this an emergency? No. This was all my fault.

Suddenly, Silver's words from so many years ago felt all too real - "You give up a few things... chasing a dream". Is this what he'd meant? Was I going to have to give up him? My friends? Jim? Is that what it all came down to? Them or this fortune? _Yes._

I fell back onto the bed and laid down just as I was struck with an almost paralyzing ache in my chest.

_I need to cry. Why can't I cry?_

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

_Why am I crying?_

_Because you know you just acted like a complete jerk to Tabitha_, another part of my mind answered. It was right.

I had been a complete jerk to her, but I couldn't help it. I had been trying my hardest not to start crying in front of her. I didn't need to make her feel any worse about everything that had happened, and I was not in the mood to be comforted. I just wanted to be alone.

"Damn it," I mumbled to the empty rooms. I pressed my eyes with my fingers and willed myself to stop before this turned into a complete breakdown.

Tabitha hadn't meant what she'd said, I'm sure, but it was the fact that she even said it at all that got to me. All I'd been trying to do from the beginning was protect her and keep her best interests in mind. It just so happened that those things ended up contradicting each other.

It wasn't like I wanted to believe Ivan, there just wasn't a reason not to. _Except Silver's word._ Silver had lied to me, to us, before. _He saved my life, though._ Yeah, he did, but maybe he'd changed again since then. We hadn't seen him in three years when we ran into him that day at the spaceport. What was there keeping him from relapsing back to his old ways during that time?

Another part of me knew that I'd let my own personal feelings get in the way as well. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been thrilled to get rid of Commodore Aldamae if only to have my job as captain back. Thought it hardly mattered now that I'd succeeded in starting an all out war between everyone on the ship. No one was going to care if I stepped up and tried to be 'captain'.

Tabitha had made that clear as well, and she was probably right. Sure, I'd taken charge, as a captain would, but in the process, my friends lost all respect for me, I forgot to keep everyone's best interests in mind, and, worst of all, I'd hurt Tabitha in more ways than one. She'd ended up shoved to the ground because of me, we were only fighting in the first place because of me, and I'd just shunned her apology.

"Damn it!" I repeated. I had been a complete asshole. This was all my fault. All I had to do was handle the situation with the commodore better, and none of this would be happening. Our friends would be laughing it up together. Tabitha and I would be sharing a bed -

"Ugh!" I shouted in disgust at myself. I pushed myself off the bed and started to pace. _Honestly, Jim? After all of this and you're upset because you won't be sharing a bed with your girlfriend?_ I wanted to argue that I just wanted to be there for her, if she had another nightmare, and while this was true, it was not the whole reason.

_Maybe that's part of the reason it ever got this far._ I paused. When was the last time Tabitha and I just... talked? I couldn't remember. Had our relationship honestly become that shallow? Had I become so involved in the physical aspects that I'd forgotten all the others? The emotional? The mental? Sure, we'd been having fun, but that wasn't what we - I - should have been focused on. I'd just been trying to avoid a fight, and meanwhile it's been building up to this since the beginning.

Had I forgotten to consider Tabitha's feelings in my attempt to protect her? _Yes. _This is all my fault.

Angry only at myself, I pulled off my boots and flung them across the room. The second knocked over my bag of clothes, and the small black box came tumbling out.

I glared at it, then, with a heavy sigh, hopelessly fell back onto the bed.

* * *

**Oy, so much drama... and it's just beginning.  
**

**I hope you guys liked it! As always, comments are made of awesome!**

**-Emily**

**Responses to Comments**

**NeverTooLate03: Tabitha is a danger magnet. I'm not going to say anything about the dream except that everything will be answered in due time! Alas, Jim will not be proposing for a while. Sorry! Thanks for commenting!  
anon: WHOA! Long review! Thank you! I'm glad you liked the scene with Tabitha & Rylee as well as all the romance. Thank you SO MUCH for critiquing! I tried to keep them in mind when writing this chapter. I hope it shows :)  
23jk: I did, didn't I? It's a lot easier to write now that I know what I'm doing XD Thank you!  
Malisa: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed them!  
Horsygirl 96: Agreed :( But things will get better! :) Thanks for commenting!  
MistressTaco: Hmm, sorry you didn't like the dream. (Geez, four hours? That's a long time!) Glad you liked it other than that though! Thanks for reviewing!**


	35. The Other Girl

**Wow, seems the drama of the last chapter went over pretty well with you guys. Thanks!**  
**Sorry it took a little while. I had some trouble writing this chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Well... it looked like there was a lot of arguing, and then that commodore fella left. He said something to the girl and some boy - "

"Hawkins, if I had to guess," Ivan mumbled bitterly. "Did you hear what?"

"No, sir, we couldn't hear 'em," another spy answered. "But after he left we moved up closer to 'em. There was a lot of fightin' 'bout trustin' you or Silver, and then we heard that gal say..."

"Yes?" Ivan asked expectantly. "Say what?"

The first spy wrung his hands nervously. "Well we heard her say that... she was done trying to find the fortune and that they were going home."

"What?"

"B-but Hawkins said that they weren't!" spy number two interjected. "He said that they weren't going to leave until she finished what she started - "

"But they had a fight after that," the first crony added.

"So is she giving up or not?" Ivan demanded.

Neither crony said anything. They stared down at their feet until Ivan sighed. "Well I'm not going to let that happen. Not after I've come this far."

* * *

"So t'ey don't trust me?"

"No, no, it isn't like that," Commodore Aldamae assured Silver

"Ya just said that Jimbo said he didn't want me around!"

"The boy is confused! Try to understand it from his point of view. You used to be a pirate, so it seems very likely to him that you could have reclaimed your own ways. He's only trying to protect Tabitha."

Silver sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Mentally, he cursed himself for ever being a pirate. He'd lost everything that was ever really important to him all because of that stupid treasure. Was he going to lose Tabitha and Jim for the same reason?

"John," Commodore Aldamae addressed seriously. "Tabitha still trusts you. She wants you to come back. She specifically told me to tell you how much she missed you."

"Ya told 'er I was here, didn't ya?" Silver verified after a brief pause.

"Yes, of course, but I told her only to come in an emergency. I didn't want her wandering through this part of town just to come for a visit."

"If t'is whole t'ing isn't an emergency, what d'ya t'ink is?" Silver demanded. The commodore had no answer. Silver sighed. "Fine. If she 'adn't come by t'morrow night, I'll go t' 'er."

"Well... what about Abigail?"

"What _about_ Abby?"

"What are you going to do?" the commodore asked curiously. "You're going to win her back, right?"

"I dunno..." Silver sighed sadly. "I'm not so sure I can. She lef' me, ya know, an' now she's wit' _him_..."

"But she wants _you_!"

"She wants t'e _ol'_ me, Anthony," Silver explained.

"What...?" Commodore Aldamae began hesitantly.

Silver sighed and raised his robotic arm, stretching his fingers out, then balling them back into a fist.

The commodore shook his head. "That won't matter to her. If you love her, go get her."

"How? I can' very well jus' show up at t'e Bryne's house askin' fer her to marry me!" Silver began angrily, slamming his fist down onto the table he was sitting at.

"So you do still want to marry her?" Commodore Aldamae asked with a smile.

"Course I do," Silver sighed. "I jus' don' know if I can."

* * *

Nobody slept the night after the argument. Each tossed and turned, with mixed feelings of anger, distrust, remorse, and concern, until at long last, morning rolled around. As if purposely trying to increase the high stress levels, it was by far one of the hottest days since they'd first landed on Lacuna.

"How are you still wearing that jacket?" Rylee asked Tabitha.

"The same way you're still wearing all those petticoats."

Tabitha was sick of wearing skirts and had switched back to her old outfit of pants and shirts. Rylee, always proper and a bit of a conformist to society, refused. Tabitha couldn't bring herself to part with the jacket this soon, though. It provided her with some small level of encouragement, just enough to keep her going. It was as if her dad had his arm around her, comforting her, and directing her where to go. She felt secure with it.

"Well excuse me," Rylee said bitterly. "What exactly are you going to say if someone comes to visit and sees you like that?"

Tabitha sighed. "Ry, just stop worrying. No one's going to be coming to visit us."

"Let's hope not," Graham said as he joined them at the bow with Morph. "That's the last thing any of us need."

"So everyone's still upset?" Tabitha questioned as she tickled the attention-starved blob.

"'Upset' is a bit of an understatement. Try 'ready to kill each other at the drop of a hat'."

Morph nodded and turned into miniature versions of their friends arguing back and forth.

"Fantastic..." Tabitha said as she slid down to the floor. Morph sank down onto her shoulder and whimpered at her.

"Have you... thought anymore about the clue?" Rylee asked her hesitantly as she sat beside her.

"The clue? The clue?" Morph chattered.

"It's all I've been able to think about. I did notice something though..."

"You did?" Graham asked excitedly.

"Don't get too excited. I don't really know if it's important, but I noticed that - if the numbers are really times - then the minute hand is on the same number as the hour hand for each of them: for 2:10 they're both on the two, for 7:35, they're both on the 7..."

"Oh," Rylee said, the disappointment clearly evident in her voice. "That's... interesting."

"I told you."

Jim suddenly showed up, and the group froze. "We need to talk."

Tabitha knew that he was obviously talking to her. "Okay."

"Alone."

Tabitha sighed impatiently, but pushed herself up, passing a sad looking Morph over to Rylee, and followed him down to the galley. At first, all they did was stare at each other. Tabitha wasn't inclined to speak; after all, she'd tried to talk to him last night, and he'd shunned her, and he'd brought her down here now - Jim should be the one to talk first.

"So what are you doing?"

"Right now I'm waiting on an explanation of why you drug me down here to talk."

Jim rolled his eyes. "The fortune. What are you doing?"

Tabitha held his gaze for a minute, then finally broke it and looked away. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Jim asked incredulously. "Tabitha, you can't keep saying that. You have to make a decision."

"Don't you think I know that?" Tabitha snapped. "In case you haven't noticed, this is kind of a tough situation for me. My parents supposedly knew where this fortune was hidden in the Etherium, and all they could leave me was a watch and one note of nonsense. Oh, and put me in the care of a godfather who may or may not be trying to kill me. Meanwhile, I've lost the only person who's ever treated me like a daughter, all of my friends are fighting, and I still can't decide if I need to be the loyal to the people I have around now or to my parents. So if you want to shed some light on the situation and help me understand, be my guest! Because right now, I don't know what the hell it is I need to be doing."

"Stop," Jim ordered. "I didn't come here to fight. I don't know what the right decision is - or if there even is one - but you're going to have to decide _something_... and soon."

"Yeah, well..." Tabitha didn't finish the sentence. Jim knew she couldn't decide; there was no reason for her to say it again.

"Well if you haven't decided yet, shouldn't you be doing something productive?" Jim questioned. "Like trying to figure out the clue instead of gossiping with your friends?"

It took all of Tabitha's effort not to tell him to 'shut up'; instead she settled for a salute and a sarcastic "Aye, _captain_," before storming off back to her bedroom and slamming the door behind her.

Tabitha paced back and forth furiously, repeating the same arguments over the treasure in her head - her parents verses her friends, Silver verses Ivan, Jim's judgment verses her own - and still had no answers. Noticing that she'd started her annoying habit of twisting her hair, she stomped her foot and pulled her hair up to get it out of her face. Then, sighing heavily, she sank into the chair and pulled the necklace off so she could observe the watch for the trillionth time.

What was so special about it? What made this watch so unique? What was she missing?

She fingered the intricate engravings of the watch. They weren't just etched onto the metal, they were etched out of it, deeper than engravings usually were. The tarnished metal seemed to highlight the different levels of the carving. But what did any of that matter? It didn't, of course. How could it? She had four words and seven numbers, and none of them had anything to do with how the watch looked.

As she twisted the watch between her fingertips, she found herself drifting away to memories of her childhood...

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

_I was three. I was at the spaceport with my parents, riding on my dad's shoulders. I fiddled with my fathers watch while they introduced me to a man named Ivan..._

_It was a short time later, and I was listening to my relatives give sympathies to my father; they made comments about how much I looked like my mother. My dad suddenly had to leave and left me in the care of a woman named Charlotte..._

_I was ten. It was an ordinary day, until my father came home from work and unexpectedly presented me with a gift, explaining that today was my birthday. I was shocked that he'd remembered, or even known. I was stunned when I opened the gift and found the watch I hadn't seen in so long..._

_It was a short time later, and I was listening to my relatives give sympathies to me, just like they had to my father when my mother died. I knew I was alone now. Charlotte handed me a note that my father had left me, a note that made little sense to me..._

_I was being saved my Silver in the alley..._

_I was fifteen and kissing Jim for the first time..._

_I was sixteen and at my first day at the academy..._

_I was eighteen and graduating valedictorian..._

_It was the present. I was standing alone in front of my house._

_"Tabitha..."_

_That familiar voice called me forward, and I followed. Down the path, up the steps, through the doorway, into the living room..._

_"This way, Tabitha..."_

_The voice called to me from the staircase. I began to venture upstairs, one step at a time. After what felt like years, I was at the top..._

_"Tabitha... in here, Tabitha..."_

_"Where?" I asked to the invisible voice._

**BANG!**

I glanced over at the clock. _8:30. Wow, I've been asleep for a while. _I suddenly realized why I had woken up - there were sounds of running footsteps and shouting on deck. I groaned inwardly. _I guess the tension finally got to someone. I wonder who's fighting this -  
_

My thoughts were stopped short by the sound of a gun. No, of several guns...

As fast I could, I raced up to the deck and my heart nearly jumped out of my throat. We were under attack. Currently, only Landon, Theodore, and August were on deck with me, and none of them had guns; they were stuck fighting hand to hand, jumping behind barrels and crates to dodge the lasers being shot at them.

"Tabitha!"

I jumped when Rylee, Graham, Jim, and Cason showed up behind me. They immediately froze and took in the scene before them.

"Tabitha, Rylee," Jim began, taking on the authoritarian roll of captain. "Go get some guns! You two, follow me!"

"What happened?" Rylee asked as we rushed back downstairs to where the firearms were stored.

"I have no idea," I panted as I threw open the door to where the weapons were kept and grabbed whatever I saw, silently thanking Captain Amelia for convincing Mrs. Hawkins to let us have them on board in the first place. "Go!"

I began to charge the guns as I ran, with Rylee doing the same. Theodore met us at the top of the stairs and grabbed some from me, tossing one to Graham and one to his brother and keeping one for himself.

Rylee rushed across the deck and handed one to Cason and Landon and kept one. Adrenaline pumping and my heartbeat echoing through my head, I took a deep breath and rushed into the fray, firing at our enemies as I went. "Jim!" I shouted, tossing him the gun before he'd even turned around. He caught it, turned around, and fired it at the alien he'd been fighting with, all in the blink of an eye. Though a million questions rushed through my head, I didn't stop to think about them. _Shoot first, ask questions later - I was clearly raised by pirates.  
_

We outnumbered them 2 to 1, and now that we had firearms, they were retreating as quickly as they could. Just when I thought the battle was won, an ear piercing scream sounded from the other side of the deck made me turn my head. One of the men had grabbed Rylee and was currently holding a gun to her head.

"NO!" Cason shouted helplessly. _He can't shoot - he might hit Rylee, or her captor might kill her._

"Get down!" Jim's voice called from my other side. Academy training kicked in, and we all hit the deck without a second thought, just as I felt the brush of a shot whiz past my shoulder. I turned and saw one of the other aliens had a gun pointed straight at me. I gasped and scrambled to grab my gun and get into a more defensible position.

"No!" I suddenly heard Jim shout. I turned and saw him racing towards me. The man who had a gun pointed at me, turned to him. Jim raised his gun, but the other man was one step ahead. He fired. Jim was shot in the chest and fell heavily to the floor.

I flashed back to my dream - _Jim and Ivan, shouting at each other, each pulling out a gun, a single shot was fired..._

"JIM!" I shouted, rushing to his side. I looked up at the enemy and made eye contact. While I was glaring at him, another expression crossed his face - curiosity. He simply observed me, never raising his gun again. I raised my own gun to shoot, but my hand was shaking too bad. The man who'd captured Rylee along with someone else shouted to the one I was glaring at, and he hastily turned to leave. I threw down the gun and pushed off to follow him, but was grabbed from behind. "Let me go! He shot Jim! Let me go now!"

"Tabitha, stop it! They've got Rylee! They could hurt her if we try to follow!" Graham tried to reason with me. I knew he was right, but I didn't care. I couldn't focus on anything else. I knew only about revenge.

"Get the hell off me!" I heard Cason shout and saw Theodore helplessly trying to hold him back. "They took Rylee!"

Graham released me and rushed to help calm Cason while Landon approached me and grabbed onto my shoulders. "You can't follow them. You're the only doctor on this ship. You have to help Jim."

I froze. I was the doctor. All those years of learning and practicing, and now I was faced with the real thing. I rushed back to Jim's side where August was already kneeling beside him. "Jim! Jim, please tell me you're alive! Please, you have to be okay."

"I'm okay," Jim groaned.

I couldn't even breath a sigh of relief. My heart continued to thud in my chest. "How many fingers am I holding up?" I asked as I held up three fingers.

"Three," he gasped.

"Do you feel lightheaded?"

"No."

"Can you still move your fingers and toes?"

He paused and attempted. "Yeah."

"Are you having trouble breathing?"

"No, it just hurts..." he moaned.

"We need to get off the deck and move downstairs," I explained to the group.

The twins supported Jim and helped him down to the galley with Landon and Cason following closely behind. Jim grimaced with every step and my hand automatically flew to my mouth to cover a gasp. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Graham. He said nothing, but his eyes were somehow reassuring and supportive. I realized I'd been holding my breath and slowly released it, bracing myself to take care of Jim.

Forcing myself to take deep breaths, I carefully walked down stairs to the galley. _Don't panic. Remain calm. You can do this._ Then suddenly, I realized it wasn't just Jim that was injured; everyone had managed to sustain some kind of bruise or scrape. Theodore was sporting an already black eye and had a gash on his upper left arm, August's mouth was bleeding and he kept clutching at his stomach, Landon's nose was bloody and the blood on his shirt suggested that he was bleeding from somewhere else too, Graham was rubbing his shoulder as he bit his lip, and Cason's thigh was bleeding heavily... but he didn't seem to notice. In fact, he was looking really pale...

"Cason," I said tentatively. "Cason, look at me." Nothing. "Shit, he's going into shock."

"Rylee..." he mumbled to no one.

"What do we do?" August asked.

"_You_ don't do anything. What happened to your stomach?"

"I just got punched. I'm okay. Nothing's broken," he assured.

"I'm okay, too," Theodore said. "I can help."

"Fine. If you're both sure, then get him laying down." They obeyed and I turned to Landon. "What happened to you?"

"Nuffing bad," he said, tilting his head back and holding his nose. "I tink my nose is bwoken, but I can handle it. Take cawe of demb."

"Graham?"

He grimaced. "My shoulder's dislocated, I think."

"Damn it." I forced down the feeling of being overwhelmed. Time was of the essence, and I had to stay calm.

I started to approach him - a dislocated shoulder was an easy fix - but a gasp from Jim on the other table stopped me. He clenched his fist and applied pressure harder to his side.

"Help him," Graham said. "My shoulder can wait."

"You two help each other," I ordered Graham and Landon. "I'll tell you what to do."

"He's laying down," August said once he and Theodore had managed to coerce Cason into laying down.

"Okay. Ask him the same questions I asked Jim," I stripped off my blood-stained, and now ruined, shirt so I was in only my camisole. "Then take some fabric from this to make a turnicate."

Finally, I turned to Jim, the person I'd been most worried about. "Jim?" I questioned as I stood beside the table he was currently laying on. He groaned, and I assumed this was an answer. "I'm going to have to cut your shirt off, okay?"

"Why?" he questioned tensely.

"It's easier than moving you to try to take it off. Just bare with me," I said. I grasped the shirt at the neckline and pulled; the fabric ripped easily.

"This... was my favorite shirt," Jim managed to joke.

I managed a small smile. "Keep applying pressure, as hard as you can. You're still breathing okay, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he swallowed and I could see that his hands were starting to shake. If he lost much more blood, he'd start going into shock as well.

"What now?" Theodore asked.

"Elevate his leg, and tell me if he starts to lose consciousness. I'll help him in a second. Graham?"

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Do you know how to fix a broken nose?" I asked as I walked over to the sink and began filling a bowl with warm water.

"Yeah, I can do it."

"Ow! Don touch it!" Landon shouted when Graham reached out to help him.

"Landon, just get it over with. It will only hurt for a minute," I asked.

I heard Graham consoling Landon from behind me as I rummaged through the cabinet where we kept the medical supplies. I grabbed some all the supplies I needed, and heard Landon yell in pain just as I turned back around.

"Here. Squeeze these into your nose," I ordered Landon, handing him some of seeds.

"Why? Whas gonna habben?"

"They're barbatia seeds. They'll slow the bleeding. Tell me when you're done, because then I need you to set Graham's shoulder."

I was rushing back and forth frantically, trying to figure out who needed help the most. I must have looked as frazzled as I felt because August approached me and sympathetically asked what he could do.

"Uh-um," I stuttered, trying to keep my thoughts organized. "Feed this to Cason."

He didn't ask what it was, or why, he just obeyed. I rushed back to Jim's side and ordered him to do the same as I shoved something into his mouth.

Jim was a little more hesitant to eat it. "Why?"

"It's an arma nut. It will slow down your heart rate so you don't lose as much blood or go into shock, and it should make you pretty sleepy," I explained.

"Ugh," Jim made a face as he swallowed the nut. "It tastes awful."

"I didn't say it was for desert," I joked quietly.

Jim smiled and I couldn't help smiling back for just a moment before turning back to August again. "Will you bring me the bowl of warm water and a rag?"

He obeyed and I turned back to Landon and Graham again. "Graham, lay down on the floor. Landon, brace your foot in his armpit and pull on his arm until the bone pops back into place."

"That just _sounds_ painful," Graham muttered as he lay down.

August handed me the rag and the bowl. I carefully moved Jim's hand from the wound and he winced. I began gently wiping away the blood just when there was a loud curse from Graham. "Is everyone at least somewhat healed now?" I asked. There was a general murmur of agreement.

"My head..." Cason suddenly groaned. I turned and noticed his color was coming back.

"Don't move, Cason," I ordered. "Just stay still. I'll be there in a minute."

I dipped the rag back into the water to rinse it off and Jim smiled again. "You're... doing a great job, doctor."

The compliment took me by surprise, and my nervousness suddenly abated. I was suddenly confident in my ability to help everyone. "Thanks." I turned my attention back to the wound and breathed a sigh of relief. "You're lucky."

"Am I?" Jim winced, and I couldn't tell if he was serious or sarcastic.

"It hit underneath your ribcage, and it appears it didn't hit any organs. There's not enough bleeding and the wound didn't go all the way through."

"Mmph," Jim said.

"This is going to burn," I warned before I applied the alcohol.

"Agh!" Jim cursed under his breath when I applied it to his abdomen. I quickly took the seeds and squeezed the juice out of them onto the wound, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the pain slightly abated. I was thrilled to see that while the wound was still bleeding, it was not gushing; that was a good sign.

"Theodore, can you help me?"

"Sure," he agreed as he approached me. "What do you need?"

"Can you support Jim while I wrap the bandage around him?"

"No," Jim suddenly spoke up defensively. "I can sit up on my own."

"No, you shouldn't - " But my objections were too late. He pushed himself up, sucking in a deep breath through his teeth as he did so. "Fine." _Stubborn._ I placed the gauze against the wound and tightly wrapped the bandage around his torso_.._ "Alright, everyone give me a rundown of what injuries you still need to be treated," I ordered as I moved over to Cason.

There were several murmurs of 'I'm fine', and I rolled my eyes. _Men._ "Fine. If you want to keep your pride or look all macho or whatever, I'll let you handle it yourself, but if you get an infection or something later, don't come crying to me."

Everyone laughed quietly. I hadn't meant to be funny, but now I realized how dramatic I was being. I smiled to myself and shifted slightly away from Dr. Alexander and back into Tabitha as I began to take care of Cason's wound.

"Can someone please explain why I was just shot?" Jim suddenly asked. "Who were those guys?"

August took a deep breath. "Landon, Theodore, Graham, and I were up on deck when they showed up. At first they simply demanded to see 'the girl', so we of course asked them what girl they wanted to see and who they were, et cetera. That went back and forth a few times until one of them told Theodore to stop playing stupid and shoved him. Landon and I went to his defense while Graham rushed off to get the rest of you. Then the next thing I knew... it was an all out battle."

"They just showed up?" I repeated.

"Yeah," Landon said. "I don't have a clue who they were."

"But why did they take Rylee?" Cason whined as he became a bit more aware of what was going on around him.

"Oh, no..." Suddenly, it clicked. "Because they thought she was me." Every head turned to look at me. "They kept demanding 'the girl', right? They meant me. Ivan must have sent them to kidnap me or steal the watch or something."

"But wouldn't they have noticed that there were two girls?" Theodore asked.

"Maybe they mistook Tabitha for a boy," Landon suggested, his voice closer to normal now that his nose had nearly stopped bleeding.

August nodded. "Yeah, you were in that jacket, and your hair's up... and Rylee was in a dress. In all the hustle, Tabitha could have easily blended in with the rest of us, but Rylee would have stuck out."

"Oh my God..." Graham said in shock. "That must be it."

"But why?" Cason asked. "Why did they want you?"

"Maybe they just wanted the watch. Maybe I've been taking to long to solve the clues. Who know?" I said helplessly. "Ivan's detrmined. He's going to try to get this fortune anyway he can."

"Yeah," Jim said, sighing in frustration as he rubbed the back of his neck. "There's just one thing - Ivan didn't send those men."

"Jim..." I whined. I was not in the mood to do this argument again.

"Tabitha, please just listen," Jim said, sounding almost apologetic. "We sent Commodore Aldamae away yesterday, and today we're attacked. Don't you think that's a bit of a coincidence?"

"He's right," Landon agreed quietly. "They do fit together."

"But my dream!" I began. "In my dream, it was Ivan..."

"Whoa, what dream?" Graham asked.

_Oh yeah..._ I'd forgotten that none of our friends had known about the dreams. I quickly summarized them, from beginning to end, and wasn't surprised that everyone was shocked.

"So... you've been predicting the future?" Theodore asked.

"Not exactly," I said. "But the dreams clearly have some amount of truth to them."

"But that doesn't mean that Ivan sent those men," Jim said finitely. "Maybe the only truth in that dream was that I was going to be shot."

"I... I don't know," I admitted.

"So what are we going to do?" Graham asked Jim.

Jim turned to me. "You have to make a decision. Now."

"Now?" I repeated. "I can't just - "

"Tabitha, it's gone too far already," he scolded. "None of this should have ever happened."

"Don't do that to her," Graham interjected.

"Yeah, you can't just make her decide on the spot like that," Theodore added.

"No," I denied their help. "Jim's right."

I had to, and I already knew what the answer was. It wasn't hard to figure out. All of my friends had just been injured because of me. I had just seen my worst nightmare lived out in real life. Rylee was missing because they thought she was me.

"I'm done. Jim, you've got to take us home before anything worse happens."

I was shocked when nearly every face in the room looked at me aghast, including Jim's.

"You're really quitting?" Cason asked.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm not going to let people keep getting hurt on my behalf."

"But we've come so far," Jim began as he walked slowly over to me. "Shouldn't you make all of this worth something?"

"No," I shook my head. "I can't keep cheating fate. You know I've been scared about losing you since before we even left for this trip, and tonight, that almost happened."

"But it didn't," he said reassuringly. "Look, just... sleep on it. You can decide tomorrow."

I swallowed and accepted the terms. _Apparently, I lack the ability to ever make the right decision._ That near panic attack feeling was back in my chest again, and my head suddenly started to pound._  
_

"Where..." Cason began as he sat up. "Where did they take Rylee? I... I have to get her back."

"We're going to," Jim told him.

"We have to get her now!" Cason shouted, standing up despite his injured leg. August rushed to his side in case he stumbled, but despite the fact his legs were shaking, he stayed standing. "Those bastards kidnapped her! What if they hurt her? Or kill her? What if they - I mean... she's a girl. Sh-she's a really beautiful girl, a-and those men! They... what if they - "

"That isn't going to happen," Jim assured him. "We'll get her back safe and sound, but we're all injured and tired, and we don't know where to find them. We can't get her tonight."

I had an idea of where we could find them, but I wasn't about to bring it up. _Is this enough of an emergency, Commodore?_

"What if it was Tabitha? Would we be able to get her then?" Cason challenged.

Jim's eyes narrowed. "That isn't the same."

Cason shook his head defiantly, but said nothing, and I suddenly realized he was on the verge of crying. I'd never seen him so close to tears before; I don't think any of us had, and he realized this. He fell back onto the bench, pounded the table with his fist, then rested his face in his hands. Landon approached him and carefully laid a hand on his shoulder, and the tension in the room suddenly dissipated. Nothing was going to get done tonight, and everyone had to accept that.

"Let's just go to bed," Graham suggested.

Jim sighed. "I guess we need to start putting people back on watch again."

"We'll go," August volunteered himself and Theodore.

"Okay," Jim agreed. "Everyone - make sure you keep your gun with you at all times. For tonight, just... try to get some sleep. Cason, we will get Rylee back, I swear. We've just got to figure some things out first."

He ended his statement with a glance towards me. It was unnecessary; I knew things had gone to far. My decision would be made by tomorrow.

"Are you okay?" Landon questioned Cason.

Cason lifted his face with a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm... yeah."

Landon patted him on the back, then left with everyone else. Cason stood slowly, and we shared a half-hearted smile with each other.

"Can you manage?" I questioned, gesturing to his leg.

"I'll be alright," he answered.

I turned and started to leave, but was stopped.

"Tabitha?"

"Yes?" I asked, climbing back down the few stairs I'd just walked up.

"You're... Can you... That is, those..." Cason struggled. "Th-those dreams."

"Yes? What about them?"

"Can... I mean, are they... Do you think you... Could you maybe try to see where Rylee is? If she's okay?" he asked hesitantly.

My heart went out to him. How was I supposed to tell him that I had absolutely no control over them? "Cason, I..."

I didn't need to finish - he knew. "Okay... it's okay."

He turned away, but I didn't leave. I slowly walked over to him. He stayed facing the opposite direction until I carefully placed a hand on his back. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could."

When he turned back around, his eyes were filled with tears, and he had to swallow before he could talk. "I'm in love with her, Tabitha. I-I can't live without her."

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

I stood on deck, observing the blood streaked floor. Someone should clean it, but I couldn't bring myself to give orders right now. Not when everyone was injured and exhausted. I took a deep breath, but immediately regretted it when my side started to throb again.

_Tabitha's dream came true._ Tabitha had dreamed I would be shot, and then it happened. True, I hadn't died, and it wasn't Ivan that had shot me, but still. _Does that mean her other dream would come true?_ Would that man attack her in the alley? No. I wouldn't let it.

I had so much to say to her. I needed to thank her for bandaging me, tell her how amazing she was down there trying to help everyone, assure her that she wouldn't lose me, promise to get Rylee back, apologize for the night before, make sure she knew I was there for her, help her make a decision, explain just how much I loved her...

The second she walked on deck, I blanked on everything but her name. "Tabitha..."

"Yes?" she asked quietly, not stopping to face me as she walked across the deck. Her eyes were focused on the floor, but her hand was rubbing her chest, as if trying to alleviate pain.

"Are you okay?"

"You always ask that," she laughed quietly.

"I always want to know."

She smiled sadly. "Care to be a little more specific?"

"Um, you're rubbing your chest..."

"Oh," she answered. She dropped her hand and turned to face me as we reached the hallway where our rooms were located. "I'm not injured, if that's what you mean, but I am tired, and sick, and... exasperated."

_Tired? Did she have another nightmare last night? Should I ask her to stay with me? How sick is she? Does she even want my help in making a decision? Has she learned anything else about the clue?_ But before I could ask even a single question, Tabitha spoke again.

"I-I need to go to bed," she said, turning her eyes away. "And you do, too."

"Oh. O-okay." She walked down the hallway, her hand returning to the middle of her chest once again. "Tabitha, wait - "

She stopped in her doorway and turned to look at me. _I'm sorry. I love you. Will you stay with me? I want to help. Do you need me to do anything for you?_ _I love you, Tabitha._ I opened my mouth, trying to figure out a way to sum up all of this and more, but I couldn't. After a moment, she smiled in a sad, almost apologetic kind of way, and entered the room, gently shutting the door behind her.

As I opened my own door, Morph suddenly zipped out of my room, scolding me.

"Whoa, were you locked in here all evening?"

He nodded and chattered angrily.

"Sorry," I sighed as I entered the room. "You missed a lot, you little squid. We were attacked. Some bad guys took Rylee."

"Rylee?" he whimpered, turning into a miniature of the girl.

"Yeah, they thought she was Tabitha."

"Tabitha? Tabitha?"

"She's okay."

He transformed into a version of Cason, then back into himself.

"He's upset, but we're going to get Rylee back. Don't worry."

"Worry," Morph repeated seriously, turning into a version of Tabitha again.

"Yeah... I _am_ worried about her."

Morph changed into the form of Tabitha and I asleep in the same bed.

I sighed. "No."

He turned into a question mark.

"We had a fight."

"A fight?" he repeated sadly.

"Yeah."

Morph glared at me, then flew across the room and grabbed the little black box.

"No, Morph!" I shouted, trying to grab him. I reflexively reach out - big mistake. My side protested and I fell to my knees.

He flew down to me and put the box down, whimpering sadly at me.

"I'm okay," I panted.

"Tabitha! Tabitha!" he shrieked.

"No! Tabitha already knows," I explained. "I was shot by one of the bad guys. Tabitha took care of me. I'll be okay."

Morph chirped apologetically, then licked my face.

"Thanks."

He grabbed the box again, calmer this time.

"I will, Morph. I just don't know when."

"Will? When?"

"After this is all over, I guess."

Morph shook his head, then turned into a scene of me on one knee proposing to Tabitha. Tabitha laughed happily and hugged me, then Morph changed back into himself.

"So you think it would make her happy?"

"Happy!" he chirped.

"Maybe you're right..." I yawned. "But not tonight."

"Not tonight? Not tonight?"

"It just isn't a good time," I said as I climbed into bed, careful not to move my torso much. "And I'm tired."

Morph flew over to me and nestled against my neck once I'd laid down. "Tabitha? Happy? When?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Morph. I really don't know."

* * *

"You idiots!" Ivan shouted at his men. "Why is _she_ here?!"

"Y-you told us to get her," one of them cowered.

"You - " Ivan stopped himself and took a deep breath. "You didn't know there was more than one girl on the ship?"

The men all looked at each other. "She... she's not Tabitha?" one of them asked quietly.

"No! This is one of her friends," Ivan said, gesturing to Rylee.

Rylee was trying not to panic, but it was hard. She couldn't take deep breaths through her gag, her arms were tied behind the chair she was sitting in, and she couldn't shake the thought that she had to figure out a way to tell Tabitha and Jim and the others that they couldn't trust Ivan and Charlotte - they were the ones who'd sent the men.

Charlotte stood away from the rest of the group, listening to Ivan chastise their idiocy while she stared at Rylee. This wasn't right, and she knew it. Charlotte had become steadily more and more uncomfortable with the situation since she'd spoken with Tabitha, and now this...

"Go back!" Ivan shouted, shoving the men towards the door. "Threaten to hurt her this girl if she doesn't come! Whatever you have to do - just get Tabitha!"

"B-b-but none of the others looked like girls," one stuttered. "How will we know - "

"I don't give a damn how you figure out which one she is! Just do it!"

The men mumbled their agreements and ran off into the night, leaving Ivan and Charlotte alone with the wrong girl.

"You aren't going to hurt her, are you?" Charlotte asked.

Ivan turned around and smirked at Rylee. "No. I have a feeling she might come in handy, as a tool of persuasion perhaps."

"I-I meant Tabitha," Charlotte said. "You aren't going to hurt her are you?"

Ivan looked surprised, but then he smiled. "Of course not, my dear." He kissed her neck, and she winced, forcing herself not to push him away. "Let's go to bed."

Ivan smiled and left the room, but Charlotte remained staring at the girl. Rylee whimpered at her, and Charlotte cringed. This wasn't right. She rushed over to her and loosened the gag around her mouth. Rylee was shocked; she had no idea how to react.

"I'm so sor - " Charlotte began.

"Charlotte, are - " Ivan said as he walked back into the door. When he saw what she was doing, he narrowed his eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"She... sh-she was thirsty," Charlotte explained. "I was going to give her some water."

"Fine," Ivan said, crossing his arms. "Go ahead."

Charlotte blanched, but had no choice but to obey now. She walked off to the kitchen, leaving Ivan alone with Rylee.

"You won't get away with this," Rylee said, mustering up all the courage she could to keep her voice steady.

Ivan glared at her. "I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you."

"Tabitha and Jim will find out that you - "

"I said shut up!" Ivan commanded. "One more word, and I'll hand you over to my men and let them do as they like with you."

That was all it took to snap the rest of Rylee's courage in half. She choked down a sob and looked down at her lap just as Charlotte reappeared.

"Here you are," she said, tilting the cup to Rylee's lips.

"Remember to tie the gag back," Ivan ordered after Rylee had drained the glass.

"Of course," Charlotte obeyed, tying the gag as loose as she could without being too conspicuous and casting Rylee an apologetic glance as she did so.

Without another word, Ivan and Charlotte departed together, leaving Rylee alone in the dark room, where there was nothing to stop her from crying.

* * *

**I hope I didn't fail to epically with the action and stuff.**

**Getting a bit dramatic now, isn't it?**

**Thanks and I hope you liked it!**  
**-Emily**

**P.S. - Thank you to ecto1B for the publicity! If you like my story, I think you would like hers as well. Be sure to check it out!**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**-NeverTooLate03 - You will get answers! And soon! Thank you for being a loyal fan :D**  
**-anon - Thank you! I'm glad you like how everything's playing out. Thanks for reviewing!!  
-Horsygirl 96 - I know, it's kind of dramatic and sad right now, but yes! It will get better! I believe in happy endings :D Thank you!  
-23jk - I know, it's pretty tense. Thank you!  
-Tsukasa-kun - Thank you! They will pretty soon, don't worry :)  
-SweetAngel183 - Yep, quite a bit of drama going on at the moment. Thank you so much!!  
-Malisa - Thank you! Don't worry - Jim won't be sad for long!  
-cookiesnmilk123 - Thank you! You will get answers, I promise :)**


	36. Too Little Too Late

**So, this would be the result of me slacking off of my school work... probably not the best idea, but I had fun!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Come on, Jim. Wake up."

Jim groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes.

"Finally," Tabitha laughed quietly.

"What?" Jim asked.

"It's after noon. You've been asleep all day, and I've been trying to wake you up for five whole minutes."

"Oh. Sorry." He yawned, but abruptly stopped when his side began to ache. He moaned and clenched it tightly.

"That's why I'm here," Tabitha explained as she moved his hand away.

Jim was vaguely aware of her removing the old bandage, but he felt himself drifting back to sleep. He blinked rapidly, trying to keep his eyes open, but it was near impossible.

"This is going to sting, okay?" Tabitha warned.

Jim sucked in a breath through his teeth and winced as she cleaned the wound. "It's worse than yesterday," he commented tensely.

"Sorry," Tabitha apologized. "By the way... thanks."

He took a deep breath as the pain eased away. "For what?"

"You saved my life," she said quietly as she began to wrap a new bandage around him.

"Oh. Well, y-yeah..." he stuttered. "H-how could I not?"

She grinned as she finished applying the bandage, never speaking a word. When she finished, she absentmindedly ran her hand across Jim's chest and he sighed at her touch. She bit her lip and looked away and his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Jim questioned.

"Hmm?"

"You're biting your lip," he explained. "You're nervous."

"Oh," she answered simply.

"What is it?" Jim asked in concern.

"Who... I mean, what... what do you want me to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do you want me to do? About this fortune?"

Jim thought for a moment, then sat up. "I want you to do... what you want to do."

"No, Jim, I - " she sighed impatiently. "Pretend I'm not here. If it was just you, what would you want to do?"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Tabitha, I don't want to make the decision for you."

"You're not. I just want to have your opinion."

"Look, I..." he began uncertainly. "If I had to choose, I'd want to try to find the fortune. We've come so far and gone through so much, and I'd like to see something good come out of it. But if you don't want to, we don't have to! I just - "

"No, I know. You just want to do what I want to do. I know," Tabitha explained. "So what would you do first? If you were me?"

"I'd get Rylee back. So I'd have to go talk to Ivan, I guess."

"Why not Silver?"

"We don't know where he is."

"Yeah, but... suppose we did," she suggested. "If we knew where both Ivan and Silver were, who would you go talk to first?"

Jim squinted suspiciously at her, but Tabitha didn't falter. "Ivan," he stated simply.

"Why?" Tabitha asked in shock.

"Because..."

"Because you don't trust Silver?"

Jim huffed and fell back against his pillow. "Tabitha, I don't want to go through this again."

"But I don't understand!" she pleaded. "I-I thought you loved him like I do, but - "

"I do!" he said defensively.

"But you were so easily swayed by Ivan. Why?"

"Ivan's story made more sense," Jim answered briskly.

"I know, but... it's Silver," Tabitha said quietly. "Do you really think he'd lie to us?"

"He's done it before."

"But he's changed since then."

"Supposedly," he responded.

"Why would you think that he hasn't? What is it that makes you trust Ivan more than Silver?"

"How many times do we have to go through this?" Jim sighed in exasperation. "Silver's a pirate. Ivan's your godfather. Your parents trusted Ivan with your life and your family's fortune. Silver seems like the likely candidate of who would be out to steal it."

"But my dreams - "

"Are just that, Tabitha - dreams," Jim rebutted, pushing himself up again. "That's all. I don't think we should base a decision on a vision you had that may or may not be true."

"But they've been true before!"

"Not exactly."

"You got shot, didn't you?!"

Jim scowled. "It's not proof, it's just an idea."

Tabitha frowned. "What do you have against Silver?"

"What?"

"It's like you're not even trying to trust him! I know that Ivan's story makes more sense, but I _want_ to believe Silver, so I'm attempting to make sense of it all. You won't even do that."

"Because there's no point!" Jim argued. "We have no way of knowing."

"I'm not saying you have to know, I'm saying you have to believe."

"Well I don't want to 'believe' in someone just to be let down again," he huffed and laid back down and closed his eyes.

She was quiet for a long time. "I don't get it. When this all started, you would have given the Etherium to have Silver back in your life. Now we have a chance to get him back, and you're just throwing it away."

"I'm not - " Jim paused, and turned away. "He keeps leaving us!"

"He's trying to protect us! It wasn't like he completely abandoned us; he sent the commodore."

"Yeah, and then we sent him away, and we get attacked," Jim rebutted. "I'm not going to believe that was just a coincidence."

"But Silver's been a father to both of us! "

"So?"

"So?!" Tabitha said aghast. "So he cares about us!"

"Are you sure?"

Tabitha's jaw dropped. "Yes, I'm sure."

"How?"

"I just know, and you should too."

"Well... I'm not so sure," Jim said bitterly. "Look, he left on his own, he can come back on his own. If he wants to come back and give us a perfect explanation of how none of this is his fault, fine. Otherwise, I'm not going to believe him."

Without another word, Tabitha stood up to leave, rubbing her chest absentmindedly to try and rid that ever present ache. She took a deep breath and walked into the hallway, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"So?" an awaiting Graham asked. "What happened?"

Tabitha took a deep breath. "We're going."

"Tabitha - " Graham began, following her as she headed up to the deck. "Why are you doing this?"

"I have to. I don't have a choice."

"Why can't Jim go with you?" Graham begged.

"He told me to do whatever it is I needed to do to make a decision. This is what I have to do," she explained. "Jim doesn't want to make an effort to find out what's going on with Silver, so I'm going to do it for him. If Jim doesn't trust him, and nothing I can say will change that, the only thing I can do is go get Silver and bring him back here so he can talk to Jim."

"But... what if you get there and you're wrong?" he asked quietly. "What if Silver really is the bad guy? If you just walk in there, he could easily snatch you or the watch or whatever it is he wants."

"That's why you're going with me."

"What?" Graham asked skeptically. "You expect me to be able to take down Silver?"

Tabitha sighed. "It doesn't matter because that's not going to happen. He's a good guy. I know it."

"But if he's not, Tabitha," he tried to reason. "I want to believe he's good too, but there's a chance he isn't. How is Jim going to feel if something bad happens to you and he finds out you went over there voluntarily? I can't do that to him. He's my best friend."

"That will be between me and Jim later," she said. "And Rylee's my best friend. I've got to find out what happened to her and get her back."

Graham sighed, and Tabitha frowned. "If you aren't coming with me then I hope you can come up with a good explanation to give Jim when he finds out that you let me go alone or else you're life's in just as much danger as mine."

He glared at her, then sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. You win."

Tabitha smiled. "Thanks. Morph?" Morph flew out of her coat pocket and chirped at her. "You ready, buddy?"

"Ready!" he squeaked, turning into a tri-corner hat and landing on Tabitha's head.

"And _that's_ supposed to keep you safe in that part of town?" Graham asked skeptically. "You just look like a girl in a lame attempt to disguise herself as a boy."

She frowned and pulled her hair underneath her hat, then zipped her father's jacket up halfway. "No one's going to be paying that much attention. Besides, we've both got guns. I'll be fine."

As Tabitha started to leave, Graham rolled his eyes to himself. "Jim's going to kill me."

* * *

"That's interesting..."

"What?" the second man questioned. "What's inreresting?"

"Two of those kids are leaving," the first explained.

The second squinted at the pair of teens as they headed off into town. "Hey, that's the one that Hawkins boy saved yesterday."

"What?" the first questioned eagerly. "Which one?"

"The one in that brown jacket," the second said. "I tried to shoot him, but Hawkins distracted me in order to protect him."

The first man's bright green eyes lit up as an evil smirk crossed his face at this new information.

* * *

"So what are you going to say?" Graham asked.

"I don't know," Tabitha laughed quietly. "I hadn't thought that through yet."

Graham laughed. "Well I suppose you could just - " He stopped mid-sentence and turned around.

"What?" Tabitha asked worriedly, turning around and seeing nothing and no one.

"Nothing," he said, still squinting at his surroundings. "I just... had a feeling. Don't worry about it. Just keep walking."

"Um, okay?" she agreed, noticing that Graham had protectively eased a bit closer to her.

The conversation between them ceased as Graham tried to focus on their surroundings and Tabitha was lost to thoughts of what she was going to say to Silver. What was she going to say? She had so many things to ask, many of them quite accusatory, and no gentle way to do it.

When they'd gone seven blocks west, they turned to head two blocks north, but once again, Graham froze and whipped around, staring back down the street they'd just walked on.

"What is it?" Tabitha asked again.

"I swear I... "

"What?"

"I think something's not right."

"You're just being paranoid," Tabitha said.

Graham didn't argue, but he did keep his hand on the gun tucked into his belt. Tabitha wasn't sure if it was just the power of suggestion, but she suddenly didn't feel comfortable either, so she did the same.

"Okay, here it is," he said at long last. "Half-Moon Inn. I'm going to wait out here... just in case."

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath to mentally prepare herself.

"Be careful," Graham warned as she entered the building.

She looked around the room at the typical tavern/restaurant that accompanied most inns. There were very few customers there at this odd, late afternoon hour, and the few that were there appeared to be the kind that never left. When no one so much as glanced her way, she plucked up her courage and walked over to the bar.

"What can I get fer ya, lad?" the bartender asked, not even bothering to glance up and notice that the 'boy' was clearly to young to be drinking.

"Nothing, thanks," Tabitha said, doing her best to disguise her voice. It apparently worked, because the bartender didn't appear put off by it. "I was wondering if you could tell me if a certain someone is staying here."

"Eh, I might could," he shrugged, finally glancing up at her. "Who is it yer lookin' for?"

"His name's John," she answered. "John Silver."

The man raised an eyebrow in surprise. "An' how is it that ya know John Silver?"

"What's it to you?" she said defensively.

"Hey now, boy, no need to get feisty," the bartender said warningly. "Yeah, he's here. Room 213."

"Thanks," she mumbled, rushing away towards the stairs before her disguise, or her courage, failed her.

* * *

Jim sighed and finally sat up; there was no way he was going back to sleep, not with all of this on his mind.

He replayed the conversation with Tabitha over in his head, wondering what exactly had happened. Tabitha was right; he had too easily given into Ivan's story. Yes, there was more proof against Silver, but he also cared more about Silver. Until now he though that Tabitha had been the ridiculous one, still choosing to believe Silver even when the facts were against him, allowing her emotions to make decisions over logic, but now he realized he'd been the stupid one. Tabitha courageously chose to have faith in Silver, putting her heart and her life on the line, while Jim had simply chosen what was easier, trying to avoid being hurt.

_"But Silver's been a father to both of us!"_

That's when Jim had made the connection. The reason he'd been choosing Ivan over Silver was more than he didn't want to be hurt, or see Tabitha hurt...

It was that he didn't want to lose another father._  
_

Silver had been the only real father Jim had ever known, and he didn't want to be let down again. If he started pushing away Silver from the beginning, approaching the situation with low expectations, then it wouldn't hurt so much if Silver really was the bad guy, if he really was going to abandon him the same way Leland had.

Jim shot upright in bed, ignoring the pain from his wound. No - Silver wasn't Leland, and it wasn't fair to compare the two. Leland had left for selfish reasons; Silver had left because he thought it was best for them. Jim sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, silently cursing himself for not making the connection sooner. If he had, then he could have been on Tabitha's side from the beginning, they never would have argued, their friends wouldn't have fought, Rylee wouldn't be missing...

He quickly and painstakingly pulled on his boots. He had to apologize: to Graham, to Cason, to Tabitha... Tabitha. This is what she'd wanted to know. This is what she'd been asking for all along, it had just taken him this long to realize it. He had to apologize to Tabitha - even more than he already needed to - explain himself, and tell her he was on her side.

Tabitha was right. She'd always been right. Silver cared about them, he'd been trying to protect them, he loved them, and Jim should have remembered that.

"Morph?" Jim questioned the empty rooms. "Where are you, you little squid? If you don't come out now, you're going to be stuck in here again."

He waited a moment, but when no pink blob came streaking out of its hiding spot he shrugged. Feeling wholly shocked and amazed at his epiphany, he set off to find Tabitha.

* * *

There was a knock at the door, and Commodore Aldamae and Silver turned to look at each other, startled and confused. Silver eyed the door warily while the commodore walked over to open it.

"Yes?" he asked the boy.

The boy said nothing, just took a deep breath and stepped around him into the room. Silver stood up defensively, preparing to question the boy... until 'he' removed her hat and her honey colored hair came tumbling down to her shoulders.

"Tabby..." Silver said in shock.

The commodore, unsure of what to do, simply closed the door and stood back, observing the stunned pair. Neither said anything, because neither knew what to say, how to react, what to do, where to begin...

"Did you only take me in because you were going to try and steal the fortune from me?" Tabitha suddenly blurted out. It wasn't where she'd planned to go, but it was the beginning, and it was always best to start at the beginning.

There was a long, awkward, heavy pause, then Silver sighed. "Aye."

Tabitha gulped and nodded, lowering her eyes to the floor, unsure of where to go from there.

"But that wasn't the reason I kept ya."

She looked back up hopefully.

"I knew soon enough ya didn't know anyt'ing 'bout t'e fortune," he explained. "But I already loved ya, lass."

Tabitha eyes widened. She paced slowly across the room, as if having to carefully consider each step individually. When she was standing in front of him, she looked up at him, her gaze pleading and curious. Silver looked down sympathetically and reached out to hug her... and was quite surprised when she punched his stomach.

"Don't - you - ever - leave - me - again," she said, accentuating every word with another punch. It didn't hurt him of course, but Silver didn't know how to react. When she was done, she quickly released a breath of relief and looked up at him, then leaned her head against him and wrapped her arms around him. Silver looked down, shocked at the girls actions, then knelt down to her level and returned the hug. The commodore smiled from the sidelines and quietly dismissed himself.

"I'm sorry," Tabitha said, her voice muffled by the fact that she was still pressed against Silver.

"What?" he asked, pulling her back to look at her.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm so sorry. I never should have said anything. You are my father, Silver. You're the only person who's ever really taken care of me like a father. You've shown how much you've cared for me more than anyone else in the Etherium, and it was all voluntary. I'm sorry, Silver. I'm so sorry."

"What t'e devil are ya talkin' 'bout, lass?"

"The reason you left. We had that fight, and I said that you weren't my father, but I was just mad! It wasn't true! I never - "

"Calm down," Silver consoled. "That ain't the reason I left."

"It's not? Well, then why...?"

He sighed. "I overheard you and Jimbo talkin' tha' night, 'bout how ya didn't want me to come."

"What? We never..." Tabitha racked her brain, trying to remember that conversation. When it finally clicked, she went back to hitting him. "You - idiot! We - weren't - talking - about - you!"

"What d'ya mean ya weren't - "

"We - were - talking - about - Ivan!"

"Wha - now, stop hittin' me, lass!" Silver ordered, grabbing her hands. "Ya weren't talkin' 'bout me?"

"No!" she explained. "We always wanted you to come."

"But..." he thought about it for a second, and realized he'd made a huge mistake. "Well I'll be damned," Silver sighed, sitting back down. "Tabby, ya got no reason to be apologizin' ta me. Seems I've been wrong from the beginnin'. I never should 'ave left ya. I'm sorry, lass. I just wanted ya ta be happy, and instead I ended up hurtin' ya and puttin' ya in danger."

"How could I be happy without you?" she asked quietly. "You've got to come back!"

"Whoa, easy," he stopped her. "Jimbo don' want me back."

"Jim doesn't know what he wants!"

Silver raised an eyebrow at her. "An' you do?"

"I... I don't know. I just know that he doesn't want to believe you because he's... afraid you're lying to us again. I don't know what's going on, Silver. I wanted him to come with me, but he said that if you left on your own, you could come back on your own."

"So ya didn't tell 'im ya were comin'?"

"Well, no..."

"Blast it, Tabby, what are ya thinkin'?!" Silver chastised. "A pretty gal like ya can't be walking around t'rough t'is part o' town alone!"

"Relax, I know that," she explained. "I made Graham come with me and I got Morph to - Oops! Sorry, Morph. You can come out now."

The hat popped back into its pink form, licking Silver's face and nuzzling against him excitedly. Silver laughed and petted Morph affectionately.

"See? Now, come on," Tabitha said enthusiastically. "We've got to get back to the ship so you can talk some sense into Jim."

Silver chuckled. "Alright, lass. Take Morphy here wit' ya an' go ahead an' head back wit' Anthony an' Graham. That way ya can give Jimbo some warnin'."

"Good idea," Tabitha laughed. She persuaded Morph to turn back into a hat then started to leave, but stopped in the doorway. After a brief hesitation, she turned and rushed back to Silver, wrapping her arms around him once more before rushing out the door.

Silver shook his head and chuckled quietly to himself.

* * *

"Hey, have you guys seen Tabitha?" Jim asked August and Theodore as he entered the galley.

"Not since about lunch time," August shrugged.

"Maybe she's taking a nap," Theodore suggested. "She said that she didn't get any sleep last night."

"Oh," Jim said sadly, making a mental note to bring that up to her as well. "Well, no, she's not. I already checked."

"Well she can't have gone far," August said.

"Who can't have gone far?" Landon asked as he entered the galley too.

"Tabitha," Jim said.

"Oh. I haven't seen her either."

"That's weird... How's your nose by the way?"

Landon laughed. "I think I'll survive."

"Good. Well, okay, thanks," he said to the others, puzzled by his inability to locate Tabitha. "I guess I'll just... look around again..."

* * *

"I'm thrilled that everything's finally working out," Commodore Aldamae said to the two teens as they headed back to the ship.

"Tell me about it," Tabitha said, relieved. "I couldn't take much more of this."

The three laughed happily as they turned the corner, only to run straight into two men.

"Oh, pardon us," the commodore said politely. They tried to step around them, but the men shifted with them. They stepped the other direction, and again the men blocked their path. They barely had time to realize something wasn't right before they were thrown into the nearest alley.

One man grabbed Tabitha, covering her mouth before she could shout. Another grabbed Graham, quickly kneeing him in the stomach, knocking both the breath and the fight out of him as he fell to his knees. Two more grabbed the commodore, restraining him.

"Nicely done, men," a cold voice said as a man emerged from the shadows. "They didn't put up half the fight I expected."

Tabitha, who'd been trying to break free of her captors grip, froze. Those eyes... those terrifying green eyes...

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"Who?" Commodore Aldamae questioned.

The man with the green eyes pulled a gun and pointed it at him menacingly. "Don't play dumb! The Alexander girl!"

Tabitha couldn't help the gasp that escaped her, and her captor noticed. "Hey, boss, I think this one might know something."

"Really now?" the man smirked. "Well - "

Before he could say anything else, Tabitha quickly kicked back, hitting her captor in the only place sure to knock a man to the ground, as she grabbed for her gun. The distraction was also enough for Graham to knock his man down, as well as take a shot at one of Commodore Aldamae's. Tabitha took a step and tried to run, but the green eyed man stuck his leg out, sending her sprawling to the pavement and her gun skidding into the shadows out of reach. Her hat fell off as well, revealing her identity and stopping the men dead in their tracks.

"Oh, how precious," the green eyed man ridiculed. "Seems you were right," he said to the man who'd originally held Tabitha hostage. "That's why that boy saved her. She is the Alexander girl."

Unnoticed by anyone, the 'hat' transformed back into Morph and took off down the street, off to seek help.

"Run!" Commodore Aldamae shouted. Tabitha turned over just in time to see Graham take off, followed by one of the men.

"You! Follow him!" the green eyed man ordered.

Taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Tabitha jumped to her feet and rushed to retrieve her gun. She found it quickly and looked up just in time to see the remaining enemy shoot Commodore Aldamae. On instinct, Tabitha fired, shooting the assailant in arm and sending him scurrying for safety while the commodore slumped against the wall.

Tabitha impulsively cried for the first name that came to mind. "SILVER!"

"He's not coming, Tabitha," the green eyed man said as he approached her. "He can't hear you..."

"No," Tabitha said in shock, taking a step back. It wasn't a 'no' of disagreement, it was a 'no' of disbelief. This was her dream... this wasn't real. No, this couldn't be happening... "No! Silver!"

"He doesn't care..."

"He does!" she cried. "S-Silver!"

With one great step, Tabitha was pinned against the wall by him. She gasped and dropped her gun in shock.

"Well, well, this does bring back memories, doesn't it?" the man laughed cruelly, running his fingers through her hair.

"Get off of me, you bastard!" she squealed, trying to push away the man.

Tabitha was not only exhausted from going two night without sleep, but n her panic-stricken state, she was trembling; she was hardly at full strength. The man easily overpowered her, ignoring her request as he covered her mouth. "Though you have matured a bit since then, haven't you? Not that you hadn't blossomed then, it's just now... you're in full bloom." He brushed his hand over her chest, but Tabitha pushed him away. "A bit feistier than last time too, I see. No matter. I can fix that."

He pulled her head forward, then smashed it back against the wall and Tabitha immediately felt a wave of dizziness sweep over her. She didn't give up though; she continued to punch, kick, and fight anyway she could. Quickly becoming annoyed, the man repeated the movement, and this time Tabitha's eyesight blackened before it slowly faded back in on a vision of the man laughing.

"Ivan ordered me to bring you back alive," the man whispered. "But he didn't say I couldn't have a little fun first."

Tabitha heard herself whimper, but it seemed as if she'd lost connection with her body. Her legs shook beneath her weight, and she couldn't make her arms swing anymore. She stood, paralyzed by fear and drowsy with ever fading consciousness. The only thing she was fully aware of was the fact that his hands were all over her body. It was when he felt his cold, rough hand on the bare skin of her waist as he attempted to slide his hand down the waistline of her pants that the nerves in her body seemed to reconnect with her brain and she had the ability to fight once again. She pushed as hard as she could, but the effect was still minuscule. The man laughed at the feeble attempt and Tabitha felt her head hit the hall once again. Just as she started to give in and succumb to the darkness, she was vaguely aware of someone calling to her...

"Tabby!" Silver shouted from the edge of the street.

The shout was enough to set the green-eyed man back a couple of steps and drop Tabitha. She crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, and listened to the two men arguing, though she couldn't comprehend what they were saying. Then, there was something cold on her hand. Something was squeaking. She focused her eyes on Morph, who was pushing her gun closer to her, chirping animatedly to get her attention. He flew up and licked her face as she picked it up. Tabitha looked up and, without a second thought, shot the green eyed man with a direct hit to the heart. He stumbled back, staring at her in shock, and he fell against the wall and slid to the ground.

Tabitha watched as his eyes blinked once, twice, then closed forever, never to haunt her in reality or dreams again.

After that, she was only vaguely aware of anything happening...

"Tabby! Are ya alrigh'? Talk t' me lass..." Silver called.

"Silver?" she asked quietly as she felt herself being lifted off the ground.

"Aye, lass, I gotcha," he assured her. "Don't ya worry."

Tabitha slowly released a deep breath, unable to say anything else as her consciousness finally left her and her mind faded to black.

"Silver!"

The man jerked around and came face to face with a bloody, panting Graham.

"What?" the boy questioned the scene that lay before him. "You... Tabitha? The commodore! And..." Unsure of what to do, he raised his gun and pointed it straight at Silver.

"Yer gonna have t' trust me, lad," Silver pleaded. From his shoulder, Morph nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

"Do it," Commodore Aldamae moaned from his spot at the wall. "You'll have to trust us, Graham."

"I thought you were dead..." Graham mumbled in shock. He thought for a moment, then lowered the weapon. "She isn't... is she?"

"She's alive," he sighed. "But we gotta get back t' the ship."

"What about him?" Graham asked, gesturing to the Commodore Aldamae.

"Can ya walk?" Silver asked the injured man.

He shook his head and released a shaky breath, clutching the wound on his stomach.

"Morphy - stay here wit' Anthony," Silver ordered. "We'll be back for ya soon."

"T-take care of Tabitha first," Commodore Aldamae told them. "Make her... your first priority."

* * *

"Where is she?" Jim asked in a panicky voice.

"She couldn't have gone far," Cason yawned, having just woken up from his 'nap' after the arma nut. "Lacuna's not that big."

"Not helping," Landon stopped him.

"She wouldn't leave without telling me? Without telling any of us? Would she?" Jim said as he paced the deck nervously.

"But Graham's gone too," Theodore pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're together," August assured him. "Maybe they just went to..."

Jim glared at him, waiting for a possible explanation, but August couldn't think of one.

"She'll be fine," Landon assured. "I'm sure Graham's with her and - "

"Jim!"

"Well, speak of the devil," Cason said sarcastically as Graham came rushing up onto deck.

"Graham! Where have you been? Where's Tabitha?" Jim questioned anxiously.

"Jim, just trust me! Stay calm," Graham tried to hastily explain.

"Wha - ?" he asked, startled by Graham's energy. "What are you talking about? Where were you?"

"I'll explain that later, just listen," Graham breathed heavily. "You have to trust Silver. She said so! And - "

"Who? Tabitha?"

"Yes, but she's - "

"What's going on?"

"She's going to be okay, Jim, but - "

"You mean she's not okay now?!"

"Well, she's - "

But Graham didn't have time to finish. At that moment, Silver arrived on deck, carrying the limp form of Tabitha in his arms. There was a unified gasp from all the witnesses, except Jim. All Jim could see was the lifeless body of the girl he loved, and he felt his world crash around him.

"No..." Jim breathed. "No!"

Graham put his arms on his shoulders to hold his attempt to run towards her. "Jim, wait!"

"No! Tabitha!" he begged, trying to pull away from Graham. "She's... sh-she can't be... No! Tabitha!"

"She's alrigh', lad," Silver assured her as he headed downstairs.

Jim couldn't breathe. He could hear conversation around him, but couldn't understand it.

"Commodore Aldamae's hurt as well," Graham explained. "You have to go get him and help him back here."

"Where is he?" Landon questioned.

Graham gave directions, then Landon and Theodore took off, running off the deck. None of this made any sense to Jim. He could think only of Tabitha. Then suddenly, Silver's statement snapped within his mind - she was alright. He repeated it like a mantra to himself.

Tabitha was alive. He hadn't lost her.

When that realization hit him, Jim remembered to breathe, gasping in a deep breath as his knees gave in and he dropped to the ground.

"Jim!" Graham called. "Jim, look at me! Tabitha's okay."

"Okay..." he repeated back, continuing to heave in deep breaths of air, despite the pain from his wound.

"Yes," August assured. "She's going to be fine."

"Maybe we should take him to the galley to sit down," Cason suggested.

"No," Jim insisted, shakily pushing himself to his feet. "No."

He didn't say anything else as he pushed past his friends and traced Silver's path downstairs. Graham followed hurriedly, with Theodore and Cason not far behind, hanging close by him. Jim didn't pause to think about what he might see on the other side of the door before he swung it open and entered the bedroom.

"She's gonna be fine, Jimbo," Silver assured, not turning around as he continued to dab at her head with a washcloth.

"What...?" Jim asked as he entered the room while the three friends stood in the doorway.

"She hit 'er head," he explained simply, not bothering to go into details now for fear it would only frighten Jim more.

"So... what? We just have to wait for her to wake up?" Cason questioned.

"'Fraid so."

Silver quickly found the first aid supplies and bandage Tabitha. Jim stood back, unable to move forward, unable to move back, unable to do anything but stare at Tabitha and silently remind himself that she wasn't dead, she was okay. She was going to be okay. She was going to wake back up and be okay...

"Wh-what about those Aglettian root things? That we gave her when she fainted?" Graham asked.

August shook his head. "No, those work by speeding up the heart rate. Fine if you've simply fainted, but dangerous with a head wound like that."

"Tabitha's okay?" Jim verified once again, his voice hardly louder than a whisper.

Silver turned around to face him. He glanced first at his friends, making it clear that they could, and probably should, leave. Once the door had closed and only he and Jim were left, he sighed. "Look a' me, Jim. She's okay."

Jim swallowed. Silver knew that Tabitha was going to be okay. Tabitha had known that Silver loved her. What had Jim known? His chest constricted and he felt his breaths getting shallower. Silver had believed that leaving them was best for their protection. Tabitha had believed that Silver had their best interests at heart. What had Jim believed? His body felt like it had just been turned into jello.

Jim had known that Ivan's story made more sense and believed him over Silver. Look where that logic had gotten him.

Now, Jim had to know that this was, in part, his fault, and believe that Tabitha would be okay... even if that meant he might be let down again.

"Sh-she's been sick, a-and she hasn't been sleeping well b-because she's been having nightmares," Jim stuttered worriedly. "Sh-she's weak, Silver. Does that... I-I mean, do y-you still think she'll b-be okay?"

"I do, lad," Silver said without hesitation.

Jim tried to believe him, but he couldn't stop the concern and fear from building up, pressing on him from the inside.

Silver placed a hand on Jim's shoulder compassionately. "We need t' talk, when ya feel yer ready."

Jim heard the door shut, but stayed standing alone in the room for what could have been months or minutes - he had no idea. Finally, he grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bedside. As he sat down, he carefully grabbed one of Tabitha's hands. He brought his lips to it, lightly kissing the back of it before cupping his hand over hers.

Suddenly, the words he'd searched for the day before, the words he'd needed to sum up everything he had to say, hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I'm sorry, Tabitha," he whispered into the silence. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

**And the drama continues...  
**

**As many of you have asked, yes, both Jim and Tabitha will be okay and there will be a happy ending :) In the meantime, there are a few more surprises in store. No, no one else is going to get shot. These are good surprises... mostly.**

**Thanks you guys! I can haz reviewz?**  
**-Emily**

**23jk: Of course Jim's okay! Well, physically at least. He's kind of struggling emotionally as you may have noticed... Thank you!!  
NeverTooLate03: I'm glad you thought so! Hopefully this chapter was as thrilling for you as the last! Thank you!  
Anon: I love your long reviews! Thank you so so much for the comments, tips, etc.! I haven't done a bio on her friends, but I'm going to work on one. I'll post it... sometime. Thank you!  
APirateGirl: Are Jim and Tabitha ever going to have sex? Yes. Am I going to write it? No. I would fail epically at lemons. The most your going to get from me are some things that suggest they have and/or are going to... but not for a while.  
Malisa: I'm not exactly sure this is what you would call back to normal... however, I hope you still enjoyed it :) Thank you!**


	37. Catching Up

**WHOA! The last chapter I got reviews from 9 different people! I've never gotten more than 7 before! I know it's not that big of a difference, but it's big to me!**

**Thank you so much you guys!**

**I wish I could give you a longer chapter to show my appreciation, but I'm trying not to cram to many events into each one, so this one's a bit shorter than usual. Sorry!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Two men gone," Ivan said solemnly. "And the rest injured. I don't understand. These are children! How could something like this happen?"

Charlotte, who'd remained quiet through the whole explanation given by Ivan's cronies before he angrily though them out, finally lifted her head and glared at Ivan. "You lied to me."

Ivan stopped pacing and turned to her. "How?"

"You promised that Tabitha wouldn't get hurt," Charlotte said bitterly. "You promised she'd be okay."

"Oh for the love of God, woman! Why does it matter?" Ivan shouted. "She's just a bratty, little girl, standing between us and what we - wait." Ivan stopped, and Charlotte looked up fearfully. "You've started to care for her, haven't you?"

"She's my family," Charlotte defended.

"She's always been your family! It's never mattered before now!"

"She was never hurt before now!"

Ivan closed the space between them. "You are not going to ruin this when I've come this far, do you hear? I've given up a lot to - "

"So have I!"

"What?" Ivan scoffed. "You mean that pathetic excuse for a boyfriend that you had?"

"He's not pathetic! He's a hundred times the man _you'll_ ever be!"

Ivan quickly stepped forward and forced her back against the wall, holding her upper arms so tightly that she knew she would have bruises there. "Really, now? Then tell me - where is this love of yours? If he's such a big man and he cares so much about you, why did he let you leave? Why hasn't he come back since then?"

"Just stop," Charlotte pleaded.

"You would do well to remember that going against my wishes does not end well for you," Ivan said menacingly. "Or do I need to teach you another lesson?"

Charlotte didn't answer, couldn't answer. She held his gaze, refusing to be show how intimidated she was, declining to turn her head to hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes. Eventually, he released her and quickly stormed up the stairs.

Charlotte remained stunned for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she said to herself. This was the last straw. She rushed to the sitting room where Rylee was currently seated alone. The girl looked up confusedly as Charlotte began to untie her gag.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a fierce whisper.

"I'm leaving, and I'm taking you with me. I won't leave you here alone with him," Charlotte said, pulling out a pocket knife. She began to saw away at one of the ropes binding Rylee's legs, but footsteps from upstairs, moving closer to the staircase, made them both freeze.

"No, please, just go," Rylee begged. "There's no time for you to take me too."

Charlotte paused and stared into the girls eyes.

"Please. Someone has to get back and explain everything to Tabitha and Jim, before anything else happens."

Charlotte resigned, closing the pocket knife. "Here."

"What - "

"Just in case," Charlotte explained. "Don't be afraid to defend yourself. Don't let him hurt you."

Rylee nodded emphatically. Charlotte placed the knife in her hand and Rylee slid it up the long sleeve of her dress - out of sight, but within easy reach.

"We will come back, as soon as possible."

"I know," Rylee said. "Please tell Cason... I love him." Just then, footsteps sounded on the landing. "Hurry!"

Charlotte quickly retied the girls gag, then, with one last regretful glance at the her, ran from the house as fast as she could.

* * *

"So t'at's it t'en?"

"Yeah," Graham sighed tiredly. "That's it."

Silver had waited all night for Jim to come talk to him, but he'd never come, so the next morning, he sought out the other boys to explain things, and explain things they did. They'd been siting there for at least an hour, doing a play-by-play of everything that had happened.

"I never shoulda left you kids in t'e firs' place," Silver commented to himself. "Well... firs' t'ings firs' - we gotta get yer girl back, lad."

Cason had zoned out, but now looked up hopefully. "Rylee?"

"O' course!"

"But how?" Theodore asked.

"We're going to have to bargain with them or something," August commented. "We can't just show up at the Bryne's and demand Rylee back. Well, we could, but I doubt it would have a good outcome."

Silver rubbed his chin. "I t'ink yer right, lad. We gotta give 'em what t'ey want."

"They want the treasure!" Cason said frustratedly. "How are we supposed to give them that? Tabitha's been working on the clue for weeks and hasn't been able to figure anything out. We've all looked at it, and we've tried everything - anagrams, codes, times, replacing numbers with letters - and none of it works."

"He's right," Graham added. "All we've got is what we guessed about the times, and Tabitha obviously can't work on it..."

"Could we give them the watch back?" Theodore suggested.

"They already had the watch. They had the watch and the clue for years and couldn't figure anything out." Cason sighed heavily.

"Why don't we just bust in there and kill 'em all and take her back?" Graham suggested, half joking, half serious.

Silver laughed. "Don' t'ink t'ats the best idea, lad. The lass might get hurt."

"Not to mention we have no idea how many people we're up against," Landon added. "We thought it was just Ivan and Charlotte, but there were several that attacked you in the alley. Who knows how many more Ivan's got working for him."

Cason suddenly sighed. "You guys, look, I've already thought through every possibility, and I can't figure anything out. Ivan wants that treasure, and that's what it's going to take to get Rylee back. So thanks for helping, but... " he swallowed anxiously. "We've just got to find that fortune."

Silver walked over and squeezed Cason's shoulder reassuringly. "We will. From what I 'eard from the lot o' ya, Tabby should be more inclined t' find it now t'at I'm back, an' I'll help ya in anyway I can."

Cason nodded with a small, thankful smile, then lowered his gaze to the floor, running his hand nervously through his hair.

"I'm gonna go talk t' 'im." Silver sighed and headed over to Tabitha's bedroom. He knocked and slowly opened the door. "Jimbo?"

Jim jumped and looked up. "Oh. Hey, Silver."

"Mind if I come in?"

"No."

"Ya figure anyt'ing out yet?" Silver asked, gesturing to the paper and watch in Jim's lap.

Jim ran his fingers through his hair. "No."

"Maybe yer over-t'inkin' it."

"Maybe."

Silver took a seat next to Jim. "Mind if I take a look?"

Jim shrugged and passed them to him. "Did the commodore not tell you about it?"

"He did, but I t'ought maybe seein' might help me t'ink o' somet'in'."

"Oh. So, uh, how is the commodore?" Jim questioned.

"Well he's been sleepin' mostly cause o' t'e medicine, so I'm no' sure, t' tell t'e truth."

"Oh," Jim sighed, running his fingers anxiously through his hair. "That's why Tabitha's still asleep too... right?"

"Aye," Silver said. "T'at or 'cause she' been sick, or bot'."

"So when will she wake up?"

"Can't rightly say, lad. Soon, I 'magine."

Jim nodded, but it was a nod that said he wasn't convinced. While Jim's eyes stayed focused on Tabitha, Silver's focused on Jim. It was then he noticed how Jim looked; he had dark circles under his eyes from getting no sleep the night before, his brow was creased with constant worry, even his posture looked stiff and concerned.

"Did ya sleep at all las' nigh'?"

Jim averted his eyes away from Silver, knowing he wouldn't be able to lie convincingly to the man. "No..."

Silver tsked. "Ya need yer rest, lad... 'specially when yer as injured as ya are."

Jim looked up in shock. "How - ?"

"Yer friends 'xplained everyt'ing t' me," he said seriously. "When 'xactly were ya plannin' on tellin' me t'at ya were attacked an' shot?"

Jim shifted down in his chair moodily. "It wasn't important."

"Wasn' - Now see here, Jimbo - yer healt' is mos' definitely important."

"Whatever," Jim muttered under his breath.

Silver opened his mouth to object again, but the bedroom door flew open, causing both of them to jump.

"Jim!" August panted. "You need to come see this."

"What? What is it?" Jim asked expectantly.

"It's Charlotte! She's here! She said that she's on our side and that she wants to help."

"What?" Jim asked incredulously.

Before anything else could be said, Silver quickly left the room, rushed up on deck, and froze as soon as he saw her. Her. Abigail.

"So, wait, let me get this straight," Landon was saying. "You... knew Silver, before all of this started... and now you're back to be on his side? Our side?"

"Well, yes, that's basically it," Abigail answered.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" Graham challenged. "You've known that Silver was on our side from the beginning!"

"I would have, but Ivan - never mind. If I had told you that I was on your side, would you have believed me?" The boys looked at each other, silently agreeing that they wouldn't have. Charlotte sighed. "I needed Silver to back me up. If you trust him, then you should trust me as well. You're right, though - I did let this go on much too long. Ivan assured me that Tabitha wouldn't be hurt; when I found out she was, it was the last straw."

"You kidnapped Rylee!" Cason argued angrily.

"No, Ivan's men did, and I don't wish to be a part of that group anymore," she answered earnestly. "And... if it helps at all, Rylee gave me a message to give to you."

His face lit up. "She did? So she's okay?"

"Of course, she's perfectly fine. I wanted to bring her with me, but I didn't have time to get us both out. She made me leave without her so that I could come back and warn all of you about Ivan," Abigail assured him. "She simply asked me to tell you that she loves you."

Cason started. "She... sh-she did?"

Abigail smiled and nodded. Cason released a shuddering breath.

"You okay?" Theodore questioned tentatively.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just..." he laughed breathlessly. "We've... we've never said that to each other before, a-and now I don't know whether to be happy or concerned."

"Happy," Silver spoke up, making everyone turn to look at him.

"Silver!" Graham began excitedly. "Do you know Charlotte?"

Silver shifted uncomfortably. "Aye, I do."

"So we can trust her too then?" Theodore added.

Silver sighed. "I dunno, lad. I need t' 'ave a word wit'... 'er," Silver said, unsure of what to call Charlotte/Abigail. "Alone."

"But - " Graham started to protest.

"Sure," Landon said pointedly, pushing Graham towards the stairs.

The boys eyed the two - somewhat wary, somewhat curious - but obeyed Silver's request, leaving the two lovers standing alone on deck. Similar thoughts raced through their minds - each wondered what the other was thinking, what they were going to say, what the other was going to do, how the other was going to react...

"So what am I s'pposed t' call ya?" Silver questioned crossly. "Charlotte or Abigail?"

"Abigail, of course," Abigail answered innocently. "Ivan was the one who started calling me Charlotte."

"Wha'? Was t'at 'is pet name fer ya?" he asked disdainfully.

"Please don't even get me started on that man," she said forcefully. "And no - Charlotte was my mother's name. When he looked up our family tree to find me, he just swapped our names around and I never bothered to correct him."

"Why's t'at?"

"I-I don't know," she laughed nervously. "Maybe because... if I wasn't able to hear you call me Abigail, I didn't want to hear anyone else call me that either."

Silver refused to stoop to the light level of conversation she was suggesting. He was all seriousness. "Well I mighta been able t' if ya 'adn't lef'."

Abigail gulped. "I can explain."

"T'en ya should," Silver responded gruffly.

"I don't know where to start..."

"Start wit' why ya ever lef' in t'e firs' place!"

She took a deep breath. "You remember the fight we had?"

"If ya mean t'e one where ya said ya were tired o' me tryin' t' find Flint's Trove an' ya refused t' go wit' me anymore, t'en yes."

Abigail winced at his harsh tone. "Yes... And then, the next time you left on a voyage, I didn't go with you - "

"An' when I got back, ya were gone, an' I 'adn't 'eard from ya since."

"Please," she begged, dangerously close to tears. "It was never supposed to be like this. A few days after you left, Ivan came to find me, and he told me that he knew how we could get the Reddend Fortune... so I took him up on it, because... well, you know my father always wanted it, a-and I thought that maybe..." She swallowed and breathed in shakily. "I thought maybe, if I could just find it, th-then we'd have enough money that you could... give up your search and w-we could... get married, a-and have a family... like I wanted."

"T'en why didn't ya explain all t'is in t'e note ya left?" Silver questioned, pulling an old, creased piece of paper out from one of his jacket pockets.

"You still have the note I left?" she asked in an awed whisper.

Silver's cold demeanor faltered for a moment as he looked at the paper, then back at her, but was quickly replaced with his stern facade again. "Ya didn't tell me anyt'ing! I didn't know where ya were goin', 'ow long ya'd be gone, why ya left - ya just promised ya'd come back soon, but ya never did!"

"I was young and stupid, John!" she shouted. "We'd already had that fight, and then Ivan made it all sound so easy! I thought that it wouldn't take that long. I just wanted to get the fortune and come back to you!" She lowered her head to hide the tears she no longer had control over. When she spoke again, it was calmer and quieter. "I've regretted the decision more every day since I made it. It was all my fault, and I'm sorry. I can't tell you how much I've missed you... a-and I know that... we haven't seen each other in fifteen years, and you've... probably moved on, forgotten all about me. But I-I just had to let you know... to see if - Wh-why are you smiling at me like that?!"

Silver blinked, unaware that he even had been smiling. However, he realized now that he'd been grinning at her like the love-sick man he was. "Yer even more beautiful t'en I remembered."

Abigail froze and stood gawking at him, convinced she'd heard wrong, but it was true. Here, now, in the pale blue light of dusk, when her raven hair reflected the last rays of the sun, and her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle, as if mimicking the stars that filled the night sky around them, he was certain she'd never looked prettier. Before Abigail knew what had happened, Silver had stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her, as tightly as he could. After a moment of shock, she hesitantly returned the embrace.

"Abby, I coul' never forget ya. Ya shouldn't be apologizin' t' me - 'twas all my fault. I lost nearly everyt'ing 'cause o' Flint's treasure, includin' you. I should 'ave given up long before t'at fight, but I was too selfish. I shoulda settled down wit' ya like ya wanted. I jus' t'ought I was so close t'at it wouldn't be long 'till I was back at yer side, 'cept wit' the fortune, so t'at I could give ya everyt'ing ya wanted. You deserved more t'en what I had t' give ya. I didn't have a t'ing to my name, an' I still don't..."

He pulled back and looked her straight in t'e eyes. "But I love ya, Abby. I never stopped lovin' ya."

"Oh, John... I love you, too," Abigail choked. She couldn't stand it anymore - she started to cry. Silver held her as close as he could, supporting her while the sobs racked her body. She hadn't felt this comfortable, this safe, this loved, in a long, long time, and neither had Silver. He emitted a small sniffle and Abigail pulled back, smirking despite the tears.

"I'm not cryin'," Silver defended before she could comment on it. "I jus' got a bit o' grease in t'is cyborg eye o' mine is all."

Abigail's smirk fell. As Silver tried to rub the 'grease' out of his eye, Abigail reached out for Silver's mechanical hand. It wasn't a touch Silver had ever experienced before - it wasn't frightened and tentative, or curious and shocked, it was tender, caring, and compassionate.

"Does t'is change... t'e way ya feel abou' me?" Silver questioned, his voice shaking slightly. He kept his eyes focused on her hand as she gently ran her fingers across the cool metal of his.

Abigail looked back up at him, meeting his nervous gaze with a surprised one. There was only one answer she could give. Without a warning, she pulled him to her and kissed him.

Silver was too shocked to do anything. Even when she pulled away, he could do nothing but stare. When his senses finally returned to him, he released the breath he'd apparently been holding. "I'm a damned fool."

Abigail smiled. "We are all fools in love."

* * *

Jim turned around as the door opened. Morph, who Jim had just been petting, chirped cheerfully and flew to Graham.

"Hey, I was just going to let you know that Operation Rylee is a go," Graham said as he tickled the shape-shifter.

"Rylee?!" Morph repeated excitedly.

"Yeah, buddy, you want to come?" he asked.

Morph chirped cheerfully, performing back-flips in mid air.

"Okay, but you'll have to keep quiet, and do just what I tell you to," Graham added strictly.

Morph saluted then came to rest on Graham's shoulder.

"Great," Jim smiled. "Who else is going?"

"The guys. Charlotte and Silver are staying here."

"Okay. Well, um, good luck, I guess," Jim agreed. "For Cason's sake, if nothing else."

Graham smiled. "You sure you don't want to come?"

Jim sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, glancing back at Tabitha before answering. "I really don't want to leave her..."

"You know a watched pot never boils."

"What?"

"You haven't even left the room, have you?"

Morph shook his head at Graham's question, transforming into a miniature version of Jim beside Tabitha's bed.

"No..." Jim mumbled.

"Hey, I don't blame you," Graham assured him. "How is she?"

"Oh," Jim said. "She's, uh, doing good, I guess. Her heart rate's normal, her head's mostly stopped bleeding, she just... won't wake up."

"Won't wake up..." Morph repeated sadly, landing lightly on Tabitha's hand.

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"What?"

"You know, just talking," Graham suggested. "Telling her what happened to her, what's going on now - anything, really. Sometimes hearing a familiar voice helps people wake up. Or at the very least, she'll probably dream about you."

Jim chuckled. "I'll try it. Thanks."

Graham sighed. "Jim, I... I'm really sorry about all this. The whole reason Tabitha asked me to go with her was to protect her, and obviously I didn't do a very good job."

"It would have been worse if you hadn't been there at all," he explained. "I should be thanking you for going."

"Yeah, well, your girlfriend's pretty persuasive," Graham laughed nervously. "She made the excellent point that if you knew I'd let her go by herself, you'd probably kill me."

"She was right," Jim laughed. "Don't blame yourself. It isn't you fault at all. Thanks for... thanks."

Graham smiled, understanding that Jim was thanking him for just being his friend. He started to leave, but Jim stopped him.

"Oh, yeah! I'm sorry I punched you," he added as an after note.

Graham laughed. "Right back at you."

"Right back at you!" Morph repeated.

Graham bumped into Cason in the doorway. "Oh, um... I was just coming to tell you that we're leaving."

"I already told him," Graham said as he bounded out of the room eagerly, followed by Morph.

Cason and Jim made eye contact, not knowing what to say. After a moment, Cason started to leave.

"Cason, wait!" Jim said, starting to rush after him.

Cason re-entered the doorway. "What is it?"

"I'm... I'm sorry for being such an asshole to you about Rylee being gone," he said sincerely. "I know that you love her, and... well I guess this apology doesn't mean much coming from me now, after Tabitha's..." He paused. "I'm just sorry."

Cason shrugged. "You were kind of right. It would be different if Tabitha was kidnapped. She's, you know, the point of all this."

"Well, yeah, but..."

"It's cool," Cason said. "You were right - we were all too hurt to go then, anyway. I'm probably still to hurt, actually," Cason laughed nervously, rubbing his injured leg. "But, now that Charl - er, Abigail - told us what we're up against, I... I can't wait any longer."

"No, of course," Jim agreed. "I couldn't either."

They stared at each other for a minute, then Jim extended his arm. Cason shook his hand, but then they both laughed and pulled each other into a comforting, albeit slightly awkward, embrace. When they broke away a moment later, they each took a deep breath, avoiding looking the other one in the eye.

"Well, um... good luck, I guess," Jim said.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Cason said.

Jim smiled and watched Cason hurry off before he sighed and shut the door. He fell heavily back into his seat beside the bed to continue watching Tabitha, as he had been since the night before. Her well being had consumed Jim's every thought, every emotion, so much so that he was able to forget that he hadn't eaten or slept since the day before. He hadn't been able to; he'd had no appetite, his nerves had been to racked for him to get any rest, and judging by how he was feeling now, the same would go for tonight as well. For now, Jim just wanted to be near Tabitha. He didn't know when she would wake up, but he wasn't going to miss it. He was going to be right there the second her cloudy blue eyes flickered open.

"Um, Tabitha?" Jim took a deep breath, feeling kind of idiotic talking to someone who wouldn't be able to respond. "It's me. Jim. Graham, uh, thought maybe talking to you would help you wake up, so, um, I am. You hit your head when you were attacked, and you're unconscious right now, in case you didn't know... Er, you're going to be alright, though. Soon. A-and I promise I'll be here when you wake up. I know I haven't been there some of the times I needed to be, and I'm really sorry." Jim paused, unsure if this was working at all and feeling dumber by the second. He reached out and carefully swept her bangs away from her eyes, smiling despite himself. "By the way, even though you're not awake, and, uh, you're kind of beat up right now, I, um... I still think you're still the most beautiful girl in the Etherium."

It was then that Jim got what he'd been waiting for - a sign that she could hear him. For right when he'd said that, he would have bet the Benbow that the corners of her mouth twitched just slightly, as if trying to smile.

"So you can hear me," he said excitedly, moving his chair closer to the bed. "Okay, well, I, uh, don't know what to say now... Graham said to talk about anything, so, er... Do you remember the first time we met? In the galley, back on the _Legacy_..."

* * *

**God, this chapter took FOREVER to write! I thought I'd never figure out a way to make it un-awkward.**

**2nd Jane Austen reference! Did anyone catch it?  
**

**I'll post the next chapter soon! In the meantime, reviews are like, totally rad.**

**Thanks!**  
**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**ecto1b: You think Jim's worried now? Just wait. Haha I've done that too (responded out loud to things I'm reading)! Yes, of course Rylee will be okay! I'll be honest with you - it's going to be a while before you see her again, but when you do, trust me - It's going to be pretty dang cool, in my opinion. Thanks! I'm glad it became one of your favorites!**  
**NeverTooLate03: (See above response to find out about Rylee) Thanks you so much!**  
**ADangerousPasttime: Whoa, I'm glad you love it! Thank you so so much!**  
**anon: You're right - Jim does need to man up a bit. Just wait - I'm getting to that. You'll see :) Thank you very much!**  
**Malisa:): Of course Jim apologized! Just wait - he'll do it again when she's conscious too XD. Don't worry, the proposal is very cute! Well, my opinion's biased, but still :) I'm so glad their relationship is coming across well and that you love the story! Thank you!**  
**23jk: Thanks for the review, as always!**  
**Kristy: Well, I'm glad! Thanks!**  
**SweetAngel183: Don't worry - Rylee and Tabitha will both be fine, but you'll have to keep reading to find out how it all plays out :) Yeah, but at least Tabitha got back at him! Of course I didn't kill Jim! I couldn't; I'd be heartbroken. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure I'd lose quite a few of my readers lol. Thank you so much!**


	38. Homesick

**I would just like to start off saying that this is one of my favorite chapters! I wrote it ages ago when I first got the inspiration and I've been so eager to post it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

_I was slightly aware of being lifted off the ground before my consciousness dissipated completely..._

_Next thing I knew, everything was dark, and I couldn't feel anything. I could hear the voices of Jim and Silver, but I couldn't understand. I couldn't tell if I was just dreaming..._

_Then there was a lot more blackness and the feeling that I was floating. That came and went, intermingled with dreams, or maybe they were memories..._

_I was three. I was at the spaceport with my parents, riding on my dad's shoulders. I fiddled with my fathers watch while they introduced me to a man named Ivan..._

_It was a short time later, and I was listening to my relatives give sympathies to my father; they made comments about how much I looked like my mother. My dad suddenly had to leave and left me in the care of a woman named Charlotte..._

_I was ten. It was an ordinary day, until my father came home from work and unexpectedly presented me with a gift, explaining that today was my birthday. I was shocked that he'd remembered, or even known. I was stunned when I opened the gift and found the watch I hadn't seen in so long..._

_It was a short time later, and I was listening to my relatives give sympathies to me, just like they had to my father when my mother died. I knew I was alone now. Charlotte handed me a note that my father had left me, a note that made little sense to me..._

_I was being saved by Silver in the alley..._

_I was fifteen and kissing Jim for the first time..._

_I was sixteen and at my first day at the academy..._

_I was eighteen and graduating valedictorian..._

_It was the present. I was standing alone in front of my house._

_"Tabitha..."_

_That familiar voice called me forward, and I followed. Down the path, up the steps, through the doorway, into the living room..._

_"This way, Tabitha..."_

_The voice called to me from the staircase. I began to venture upstairs, one step at a time. After what felt like years, I was at the top..._

_"Tabitha... in here, Tabitha..."_

_"Where?" I asked to the invisible voice._

_"Here, darling... here..." A new voice, a feminine voice._

_I followed, venturing into my parents bedroom._

_"You're doing wonderful, Tabitha."_

_"What do you mean?" I cried to no one._

_"The clue... the watch..."_

_"What about them?"_

_"It's here, darling," the woman spoke again._

_"Where?" I looked around the room, but it looked just the same as when I'd last been there - bed, tables, trunk, closet..._

_It was dark again. __I became faintly aware that I'd been asleep for a long time, but there was nothing I could do. I didn't even feel like I was alive. Maybe I wasn't alive. Maybe this was death. I certainly felt peaceful...  
_

_Then there was Jim's voice. It was clear, and crisp, and sweet. I still didn't know what he was saying, only that he was saying something, and that he was close to me. The next thing that happened played out like a movie of my entire life with Jim. I still couldn't make everything out in the pictures, but every time, I knew that he was there with me, just like I knew he was there with me in real life._

_Next there was blackness... just blackness..._

_

* * *

_I'd spent the entire night talking to Tabitha - about when we'd first met, the voyage of the _Legacy_ (leaving out any of the pirate scenes, lest she have nightmares), eating the huge banquet my mom prepared when we'd returned ("That was the first time I ever thought that if I got to spend the rest of my life sitting beside you, recounting tales of our latest adventure, I knew I'd be happy."), days at the academy, graduation... I got so involved in the retelling of our life together that I didn't notice how much time had passed until Silver brought me breakfast the next morning. I still couldn't eat, though. I knew it wasn't the smart thing to do, but I just didn't have any appetite. Luckily, Silver was so distracted by Abigail's return, Commodore Aldamae waking up, and Operation Rylee that I'd been able to give my food to Morph... again.

Operation Rylee hadn't brought about any results so far. After trying the Bryne's house with no luck, they'd tried anywhere else Abigail could think of - restaurants, taverns, inns - but each time, they came back empty handed. Cason was taking it really hard. The fact that he didn't know her condition or her location was weighing on him as much as Tabitha's health was on me. He blamed himself for not doing a better job of protecting her, Abigail blamed herself for not bringing Rylee with her, Silver blamed himself for ever leaving in the first place, but I was the only one who deserved to take any blame.

After spending two days alone, save for when Silver would come to check on Tabitha or bring me food, I'd come to the conclusion that I'd messed things up from the get go. Every step of the way, it seemed I'd done something wrong: Tabitha had told me that she didn't want to go on this trip, but I'd convinced her, promised her she wouldn't lose me or anyone else; I'd shaken off her dreams, denying her claims that they were something more than that; when she'd wanted to leave again after we'd sent the commodore away, I'd refused; but the thing that had caused the most problems, the thing that was the root of all the others, was that I hadn't trusted Silver.

I'd tried anyone I could think of to see if it wasn't really my fault and I was just being too hard on myself, but the fact was that couldn't be done, because it _was_ my fault. I'd messed thing's up, and what's worse - I hadn't apologized. Each time Tabitha and I got into a disagreement, we just brushed it off, until eventually it had gotten to the point where she had left to find Silver on her own (or at least without me) and been attacked. _I'm sorry._ How hard would that have been to say when she was still conscious? Two words, and we could have worked everything out, and then none of this would have happened.

All of this I'd figured out on my own, which was why now, when Silver was scolding me for not sleeping or eating (I should have known Morph would be a tattletale) that I'd reverted back to my temperamental, adolescent self and had all but ignored whatever he was saying.

"... need t' take care o' yerself an' - "

"Silver, it's no big deal," I finally interrupted. "I'll be fine."

"Ya most certainly won't be fine if ya keep t'is up!"

I sighed. "Whatever."

Silver sighed as well, and the next time he spoke, it was much calmer, more sympathetic. "Jimbo, I know yer worried 'bout Tabby, but I'm not gonna be in charge o' takin' care o' two sick pups." I said nothing. "If yer sick, 'ow are ya gonna handle t'e rest o' t'e crew? Yer friends need ya, lad. Yer t'ere cap'n."

"Yeah," I scoffed. "Some captain I turned out to be."

"What are ya gettin' at?"

"Nothing," I said quickly, regretting I'd said anything at all. "Forget it."

Silver eyed me suspiciously. "What's eatin' ya?"

I gave a small laugh. "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not," Silver said seriously. "What are ya worryin' 'bout?"

"What am I _not_ worried about would be easier." I stood up and began pacing, anything to avoid looking Silver straight on. "I'm worried about everything. I'm worried about the commodore. I'm worried about our friends. I'm worried about Rylee. I'm worried about the clue and the fortune. I'm worried about Tabitha."

"I don' see how makin' yerself ill's gonna help any o' t'at," Silver replied.

"Never mind," I mumbled as I sat down on the foot of the bed.

I could feel Silver's eyes on me, but I didn't look up from the floor. "Jim, none o' t'at was yer fault."

"Yes, it was!" I argued, somewhere between shouting and crying. "This was all my fault. It's been my fault since the beginning. The reason Rylee's gone and we haven't been able to get her back yet, the reason the commodore was shot, the reason that Tabitha's unconscious, the reason we're even still here is all because of me! All because I had to disagree with Tabitha and believe - "

"Believe wha'?" Silver questioned warily.

"It doesn't matter! The fact is that I'm the one who should be blamed for all of this - not Abigail, not you, not Cason - me."

"Ya can't do t'at t' yerself, lad," Silver consoled. "Ya can't blame everyt'ing on your - "

"Yes, I can, Silver! I can and I should!" I sighed. It was no use - I was going to have to say it sooner or later. "Look, I... the reason... the reason all of this is my fault is because I didn't trust you." I looked down. I didn't want to see if any hurt registered on his face. "After Ivan told us his story, it just sounded so much more believable, so... I-I started to trust him more than you. Then me and Tabitha started fighting about it, and... and everything that's happened has bridged off from the fact that I disagreed with her. All you asked us to do when you left was trust you, and I didn't even do that. I-I just couldn't, though. You've let me down before - I mean," I quickly tried to fix my statement. "That was a long time ago, and you've changed, and I know that now, but hearing it from Ivan just... made me doubt it. I-I'm sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. Everything you did was to try to protect me and Tabitha, and everything I did just reversed that. I just couldn't - " I gulped down my nervousness. "I didn't want to go through being betrayed again. I couldn't handle it. It was stupid, and I'm sorry."

"Seems like me past is catchin' up t' me..." Silver said, more to himself than me. "Jim, I don't blame ya fer not wantin' t' put yer trust in me, an' that's me own fault. After t'e _Legacy_, it don't make sense t' trust me." He sighed. "Ya had no way o' knowin' t'at any o' t'is would happen when ya made t'e decisions ya made. Ya did jus' wha' a cap'n should do - ya did what ya t'ought was best fer everyone at t'e time. Ya did yer best t' keep yer friends safe an' secure. T'ey know t'at, I know t'at, Tabby know's t'at. No one's blamin' ya fer anyt'ing, an' ya shouldn't be either."

"But... but I promised Tabitha I would always... always be there for her and - " my voice caught in my throat. "And now ... now she's..."

N_o! NO! Damn it, why? Why must I always end up crying in front of this man?_ I held my breath and willed the tears to stop, and luckily, they did for the most part. A moment later, a metallic hand latched around my arm and pulled me to my feet. "Stand up, lad." I did, and reluctantly glanced up at Silver, expecting to see anger or sadness written across his face, but he was... smiling. "Now, do ya remember what I told ya back on t'e _Legacy_?"

"Every word." _How could I not?_

"Good. Now, wha' was t'e firs' t'ing I told ya ya had t' do?"

"Take the helm, chart my own course," I answered, rubbing my eyes.

"Ya done that, hadn't ya?" he said in a congratulatory voice. "Ya went from bein' t'at moody teenage boy I firs' knew t' the man standin' in fron' o' me right now - a man who, at t'e age o' 18, has already become a cap'n an' fallin' in love wit' t'e girl he wants t' marry." I smiled despite myself, and Silver chuckled. "Jimbo, tha's more t'en most men accomplish in t'ere whole lives. Alrigh', now, what was t'e next thing?"

"Stick to it, no matter the squalls."

"Well, t'ats where ya are righ' now. Ya had a hard go an' t'ings aren't goin' t'e way ya planned, but ya can't give up. Yer always too hard on yerself, lad. Ya try t' blame yerself when t'ere's no reason to. Sometimes t'ings jus' happen, an' t'ere's no one t' blame." I nodded, sniffling back the last of my tears. "What was t'e las' t'ing?"

"You said that when the time comes that I get to really test the cut of my sails, and show what I'm made of, that you hoped you were there, catching some of the light coming off me that day."

Silver blinked. "Ya really did remember every word, didn't ya?"

I laughed and scratched the back of my neck. "Yeah, guess so."

"That's t'e nex' part," he said, leaning over to look me in the eye. "Ya've already done great t'ings, James Hawkins, but yer time ain't over yet. Jus' wait. If you can do all t'is in yer first 18 years, Heaven knows what ya can do in t'e nex' 18. You've got the makin's o' greatness in ya, 'member?"

"Yeah, and I haven't even rattled the stars yet," I kid lightly.

Silver laughed. "Tha's righ'. But ya aren't gonna make it 18 more years if ya don' start takin' care o' yerself. Now - " he walked over and grabbed a bowl off of the table and handed it to me. I opened my mouth to say something, but Silver's harsh glare stopped me. "I'm not arguin' wit' ya anymore. Yer gonna eat."

I sighed and relented. "Just give me the damn soup."

Silver chuckled heartily and handed the bowl to me. It was only when I felt the warm bowl in my hands and could smell how good it was that I realized I _was_ hungry. _Really_ hungry. I downed it an instant.

"For someone who ain't hungry, yah certainly ate tha' fast," he laughed and handed me the other bowl.

"But that's yours, isn't it?"

"It was s'posed t' be, but unlike some, I've been eatin' regular meals. You need it more t'en I do. I'll make meself some more."

I accepted and drank it quickly, not caring that it burned my tongue. "Thanks." I looked up at him and waited. He must have read my mind because a moment later, he held out his arms and I embraced him. "Thanks for everything."

Silver pulled back and smiled. "Now, I suggest ya get some sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"Jus' like ya weren't hungry?"

I chuckled. "No, I'm really not. I can't go to sleep."

"Well, I 'xpect ya'll be able to soon 'nough," he said with a smirk.

"I'm too worried about Tabitha."

"I'll be 'ere wit' her, lad," he reminded.

I eyed him suspiciously, then my eyes widened as the realization hit me. "You put something in my food to make me fall asleep, didn't you?"

He laughed. "Well, ya wouldn't take care o' yerself, so I'm doin' it fer ya."

Almost instantaneously, I felt my head begin to fog as my thoughts went blurry. "You know, you shouldn't drug the captain," I yawned.

"The cap'n shouldn't be actin' daft."

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to fight sleep much longer, I pulled my chair against the wall so I could lean my head back. My eyes closed on there own, but momentarily opened again when a blanket was draped over me.

"You old scallawag..."

Silver's laughter was the last thing I heard before finally, with my anxiety and guilt somewhat relieved, and a full stomach, and okay, the drugs that Silver gave me, I was able to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

Tabitha woke up slowly, adjusting to one element of her surroundings at a time. First was how awful she felt - a headache, a dry mouth, chills. Then other things about her - she was definitely in a bed, her head was tightly wrapped with a bandage and was throbbing each time her heart beat. Then her surroundings - she was in a dimly lit room, and someone else was there beside her...

"Silver?" she managed to groan as her eyes blinked open.

Silver sighed with relief. "Aye, lass. How d'ya feel?"

Tabitha moaned weakly.

"Here," Silver ordered as he passed her a cup. Silver had to put his hand on her neck and help her. Assuming it was water, Tabitha hurriedly gulped the glass and didn't realize the bitter taste until she'd already drank about half of it. When she did, she coughed and sputtered, making her head hurt even more.

"Ow..." she whined.

"Sorry, lass. Shoulda warned ya it was medicine."

"Oh," Tabitha said. "Silver..."

"Shh," Silver hushed her. "Don't talk jus' yet."

"But," she took a deep breath. "I have to tell you..."

"Jimbo tol' me everyt'ing. Don't worry."

"Rylee?" she asked in a small voice.

He sighed. "Still missin'. We'll get her t'ough."

"The boys..."

"Still hur', but healin' up jus' fine. Ya did a good job on 'em."

She smiled, slowly waking up. "And Jim? Where is he?"

Silver smiled and pointed across the room. If Tabitha turned her head slightly, she could just barely make out his silhouette, asleep in a wooden chair with his head propped against the wall.

"Is he okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Depends on what ya mean by okay," Silver said with a soft, sad laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Tha's the firs' time he's been t' sleep since ya got hurt."

"When was that?"

"Two nights ago." He sighed and turned to face the boy. "Tha' boy sure does love ya, Tabby. Ne'er seen someone so head-o'er-heels devoted t' someone 'efore."

"But... he hasn't slept in almost three days?"

"Aye." She took a deep breath and started to ask something, but Silver stopped her with a smile before she could say a word. "I'm gonna wake 'im up. He'd flay me if 'e found out ya were awake an' I didn't tell him."

"Okay," she answered with a small, thankful smile.

Silver walked to the other side of the room and placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Jimbo," Silver whispered, shaking him slightly. Jim groaned, but didn't open his eyes. "Wake up, lad."

"Huh? What?" Jim groggily replied as he rubbed his sleep heavy eyes.

Silver grinned and nodded towards the bed across the room, where Tabitha smiled at Jim. Jim started, tossing the blanket to the floor as he jumped to his feet. Then, slowly, wide-eyed, and with his heart about to beat out of his chest, he walked across the room. Carefully, he reached out to touch her face, to verify that she wasn't a mirage, a delusion brought on by sleep deprivation, a dream he'd imagined in his heavy slumber...

"Tabitha...?" he whispered.

"Hey, Jim."

Relief overwhelmed Jim and he sank down onto the edge of the bed beside her. "Oh, Tabitha - " He brushed her hair out of her face gingerly, then grasped her hands. "Y-you're okay."

Silver smiled at them and left the room unnoticed, quietly closing the door behind him.

"Oh, I... I-I just... I'm..." Jim stammered, trying to express his relief. He released a shaky breath and kissed her forehead. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay," she whispered.

"Tabitha, I'm so sorry," Jim said, his voice filled with urgency. "I never should have given up on Silver. I'm sorry for being so stupid. I'm sorry for fighting. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm sorry for saying your dreams weren't real. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I'm sorry I wasn't there in that alley with you. I'm sorry that - "

"Jim! Calm down," she smiled. "It's okay. You don't have to keep saying it."

"But I really need to say it! I've been waiting for you to wake up just to tell you how sorry I am."

"And now you have." He opened his mouth to say something but she interrupted. "Don't say it anymore. You'll give me a headache."

He chuckled lightly and agreed. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know... kind of woozy, like I'm in a dream. What about you?"

"You would be worried about me, even though you're the one who's been out for over 2 days," he smiled.

"But, Jim, you haven't slept at all since - "

Jim sighed. "Silver told you, huh? No, I haven't. I... I-I couldn't. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I was afraid to even leave the room."

"Afraid?" Tabitha questioned.

"Well, yeah. I was scared that... if I left, something would happen to you. I know that sounds dumb, but... I've just been so worried. I-I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I should have been there with you. I could have protected you."

"It's okay, Jim - "

"No, it isn't," he pleaded, his voice filled with anguish. "I promised that I would always be there for you, and that you would never lose me, and then... this happens. I acted like an idiot, and you got hurt."

"You're blaming yourself too much," she replied, repeating the same thing Silver had said to him. "You're being there doesn't mean that I wouldn't have gotten hurt. It could have ended up a lot worse."

"I almost lost you..." he whispered, reaching out to touch her face.

"But you didn't," she said sincerely, reaching out to brush his hair away from his eyes.

He sighed. "I still can't believe how much of a jerk I was. This never should have happened to you. I'm so sorry."

Tabitha rolled her eyes; she was appreciative of the apology, but there was no reason for Jim to feel this guilty. "Jim, if you'd been there, you just would have pulled some ridiculous, chivalrous move to save me... again."

"Yeah..." Jim chuckled tensely. "You bet I would have."

"Then where would we be? You'd be hurt - more than you already are - and I'd probably be in the same place I am now. It isn't your fault," she consoled. "Please don't blame yourself anymore."

He looked down at her and grinned.

"What?"

He swallowed. "I'm just so glad you're awake again. I was really scared."

"You were?" Tabitha whispered. "Why?"

"Well, I, uh... when I saw you faint that time, I thought _that_ was scary - you know, watching you collapse like that - but, well... this was worse. A-a _lot_ worse."

Tabitha said nothing. What could she say? For now, she could only listen as Jim explained how he felt. Tabitha squeezed Jim's hands - for comfort, apologies, gratitude, love - and he looked down at them, turning his eyes away from her face for the first time.

"I-it was like a nightmare. I got up because I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn't find you. Th-then all of a sudden, Graham came running up on deck, trying to tell me something..." Jim began to stroke the back of her hand with his thumb absentmindedly. "I couldn't focus on what he was saying. I-I just wanted to know what had happened to you. Then... then Silver came up on deck, carrying you and... I-I-I've never been so scared in my entire life. Y-you looked..." His voice began to crack. "I was so worried that... I was sure you were..."

He took a deep, shuddering breath, released Tabitha's hands and propped his elbows on his knees, pressing his palms against his eyes to hold back the tears. Tabitha, unable to move very much, reached out and gently squeezed his arm. He moved his hands away from his eyes, and turned to look at her. His eyes had filled with tears. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and trembling; he knew he couldn't hold back any longer.

"I thought I'd lost you."

Tabitha blinked up at him in complete shock. Jim choked once, then leaned down to rest his head on her stomach before he started to cry. Tabitha was stunned. Jim was crying. Jim didn't cry. Tear up maybe, but sob? No. It had to be something huge to make Jim this upset. He had truly, honestly believed she might have died. She massage his back affectionately, trying to soothe him as she too felt the tears well up in her eyes. Maybe it was because she and Jim been through such a rough patch, maybe it was because she'd been asleep so long, or maybe it was because watching Jim break down like that was the saddest thing she'd ever seen, but Tabitha's emotions seemed to have doubled in an instant.

And that's how she realized what it was that made her cry - it was Jim. It was always Jim. Jim was the first person who had finally broken down her walls and allowed her to cry. Jim was the person who had done it again now. Around Jim she was relaxed and at ease. She trusted Jim more than anyone else in the Etherium. Jim loved her, and she loved him back, and there was something almost magical in that.

Jim was comfort. Jim was security. Jim was safety. Jim was home.

As she began to sob, he looked up at her. "What? Are you crying too?"

"How could I not?" she half-laughed, half-cried.

Jim laughed the same way as he rubbed his eyes on his sleeve. He leaned down and hugged her, lifting her off the bed slightly as he wound his arms around her. They leaned against each other and continued to cry, their arms wrapped around each other as tightly as possible, each resting their head against the others shoulder, and both gripping onto the other with all they had, refusing to release them.

They stayed that way, holding each other as if their very lives depended on it, for who knows how long. It didn't matter though; they were content to spend the rest of eternity that way, so long as they had each other. When Jim finally pulled apart just enough to face her again, their eyes both still glittered with tears yet to come. With a small, relieved smile, Jim wiped away her tears with his thumbs, then, keeping his hands on the side of her face, he lowered his lips to her.

This was a kiss. It was a complete contradiction. It was hard, but soft; gentle, but enthusiastic; tender, yet insistent - captivating, beautiful, and passionate. If they hadn't known they were in love before, they certainly knew it now. Were it not for air, there would never have been reason, nor need, to separate.

"I love you," he whispered when he pulled back again.

"I love you," she breathed, and they connected again for another moment lost in time.

A minute later, Jim slowly sat up. Then, keeping his eyes locked on hers the entire time, pulled back the sheets and shifted next to her underneath the covers. They laid facing each other for a moment, then Tabitha moved over, getting as close as she could to him. Jim slid one arm underneath her and one arm above, pulling her even closer and holding her there securely.

"Tabitha?" Jim questioned.

"Hmm?" Tabitha mumbled against his chest.

Even the simplicity of hearing the sound of her voice made him smile. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

Tabitha, finally feeling completely safe, despite anything that might have been happening, slowly faded into the feeling of warmth, not only from the body she was now held against, but from a kind of relaxing happiness that warmed her from the inside out. Jim, calm for the first time in not just the past few days, but weeks, quickly drifted off to the sound of shallow breathing and the smell of happiness.

When Silver returned a few minutes later to check on them, the couple was already sound asleep. Shaking his head with a smile, he backed back out of the room and let them be. There was no reason to disturb them. They were safe, they were in love, and they were home.

* * *

**I hope you like it as much as I do!**

**Readers & reviewers: You guys are all made of awesome. Keep the support coming! I love you all, and hearing from you is what keeps me going :)**

**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: *DING! DING! DING!* Correct! As usual, I appreciate your support. I hope you like my story as much as I like yours :D** **I'm serious, though - you'd better update A.S.A.P.!**  
**anon: Thank you! I knew there was something awkward about that hug, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I went back and fixed it after you said that. I'm glad you liked it!**  
**23jk: Thank you very much!**  
**Kristy: No! Not Morph! Here - I updated! Let the little guy go! *Morph flies to Emily and the crowd cheers* I don't know if a nuclear weapon could actually kill protoplasm, but better to be safe then sorry, right? *Morph: Right!* (Glad you like my story!)**


	39. Working It Out

**Ah-ha! Here it is! The next chapter!**

**Hope you like it :D**

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

A shower, a meal, a review of how everyone's injuries were healing up, and one exceedingly long conversation later, everyone was caught up on everything that had transpired, and we were once again on the same page. It was interesting to look around and see the facial expressions of everyone. Well, everyone except Jim, who was still asleep after the rest of us had made a unanimous decision not to wake him up because he needed all the rest he could get. Cason had dark circles under his eyes from spending countless hours worrying about and trying to find Rylee. Landon had an almost far off expression, as if whatever he was thinking about was somewhere past the deck of our ship. Graham, Theodore, and August all had thoughtful, calculating looks. Commodore Aldamae's gaze was fixated on the floor as he paced back and forth from one side of the deck to the other. Silver was rubbing his chin worriedly, while Abigail stood by, massaging his shoulder comfortingly. Even poor Morph looked distraught by the situation.

I knew I probably looked about as bad as I felt. I was feeling the weirdest mixture of all of those emotions. It made me feel exhilarated, and determined to do something, but at the same time, it made me want to go to sleep and forget all about it for a little while. My anxious thoughts definitely weren't helping my head injury either. It felt better, but there was still a dull, throbbing pain that made my entire head feel like it weighed 5 times as much as it did. Not to mention the bandage was itchy.

"Well, Tabby," Silver said suddenly, causing me to jump a bit. "What now?"

"Haven't we been through this?" I said confusedly. "I have to figure out that clue."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Commodore Aldamae asked.

"I don't know," I sighed helplessly. Morph flew over and nuzzled against my cheek in an attempt to comfort me.

Abigail approached me. "You can do it. You're your father's daughter. He gave you this challenge because he knew you would able to defeat it."

I smiled. The more time I spent around Abigail, the more I liked her. It seemed like she had this everlasting cheerfulness about her, that couldn't be dampened no matter what. She always knew what to say, too - not just to me, but to all of us. There was something about having her there that just seemed to improve everything a little.

"Okay," I sighed. "Who's up for a field trip?"

"Field trip!" Morph squeaked.

"Where to?" Landon asked.

"My house. I know I've already been there once, but maybe if we all go together, we can figure something out. Besides, last time I went I... kind of had a breakdown and didn't really get much done. Maybe it will be easier the second time."

"Sounds like a good plan t' me," Silver said.

"Are we going now?" Theodore asked.

"No, shouldn't we wait until it's dark?" August asked.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Besides, Jim's still asleep."

Graham scoffed. "I'll be surprised if he ever wakes up after the hell he's put himself through."

Abigail sighed. "All you kids have had a rough time. Why don't you try to get some sleep? Silver and I will keep an eye on things."

There was a general, sleepy murmur of agreement as the boys walked off... all except Cason. I paused and headed over to where he was standing by the edge of the deck, staring out into the Etherium.

"Cason?" I asked, tentatively putting a hand on his shoulder. He started and I jumped back. "Sorry, I... I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Well, I mean, as okay as you can be."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm..." He didn't even attempt to say he was 'fine' or 'okay'. It was clear he wasn't.

"Cason, I'm really sorry I haven't been able to do anything. I haven't had a single dream about her, and I haven't been able to figure out the clue yet, but I will. I swear. Rylee's my best friend, and I'm going to get her back. I'm just sorry I haven't been able to yet."

Cason sighed and turned to me. "It isn't your fault. I know you're trying."

I felt like there was something else I should do, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I settled for a halfhearted smile.

"Tabby," Silver called as Morph hovered near his shoulder. "I'd like a quick word wit' ya."

"Cason, dear, would you mind talking to me for a moment?" Abigail said.

Cason and I separated and headed to our respective adults.

"Come 'ere, lass," Silver said, holding out his arms to me. I gratefully fell into them, releasing a sigh of relief. "Abby's right. Ya can do t'is. I know ya, lass, an' I know yer pap wouldn't 'ave given ya somethin' ya couldn't do."

"Thanks. I'm just so worried about Rylee."

"Rylee," Morph whimpered sadly. I petted him gently.

"She's fine. I can feel it," Silver smiled. "That gal can handle more t'en she lets on."

"And what about Cason?" I asked quietly, looking over to where he and Abigail were now talking.

Silver sighed. "Well, ya saw how Jimbo was wit' ya, an' he at least knew where ya were. Casey t'ere don' know where his gal, is or if she's hurt... that'll put a strain on any man. I'm surprised he's holdin' up as well as he is."

No sooner were the words spoken then Cason threw his arms around Abigail, silently begging for support. She returned the embrace, whispering something I couldn't hear and rubbing his back soothingly.

"Abigail would make a good mother..." I mused. That's what it was about her that I liked so much.

"What was t'at, lass?"

"I was just thinking out loud, but... don't you think Abigail would make a good mom? She looks like a natural." Morph backed me up by nodding in agreement.

Silver chuckled quietly. "T'at's all she e'ver wanted t' be."

"It isn't too late," I suggested.

He turned to look at me and raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What are ya gettin' at lass?"

Cason and Abigail separated on the other side of the deck. Cason breathed a huge sigh of relief than rubbed his eyes on his sleeves. He caught me staring and I smiled. He managed a small smile and a quick wave in return before he headed down to the crew's sleeping quarters to nap with the others.

"Tabby? What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Silver curiously asked again.

As Abigail started our way, I turned to look at Silver and shrugged. "I love you," I said as I hugged him. When I heard Abigail's footsteps finally reach us, I pulled away, smiled up at both of them, then waltzed off, silently praying that Silver could take a hint. Morph followed me and I waited until we were out of sight before I spoke to him. "Hey, Morph! Want to help me?"

Morph squeaked curiously at me.

"Silver and Abigail? They love each other right?"

Morph nodded enthusiastically, shifting into the image of the younger versions of them dancing.

"Exactly. Okay, have to help me get them together."

"Get them together?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Try... showing them that scene of them dancing! That should get them talking."

"Talking."

"Yeah, then - " I whispered something to him and he giggled. "Sound like a good plan?"

"Good plan! Good plan!" he agreed, performing somersaults in the air.

"Okay, then go!"

Morph chirruped and happily flew off to perform his duties as matchmaker.

I entered my room quietly, but it was probably unnecessary; Jim looked like he could have slept through a war. I walked over and carefully lifted his shirt to check his wound. It was healing really well, thankfully. I grabbed the medicine and bandages from their place on the bedside table, removed his old bandage, and began applying the new one. Jim slept through it all. It wasn't until I'd removed my shoes and laid down next to him that he even moved a muscle. As he shifted slightly, I smiled and turned onto my side to face him.

"I love you," I whispered.

Jim grinned. "I love you, too."

"Oh, you're awake!"

"Sort of..."

"About time. It's the afternoon."

"Afternoon? Sorry..." he groaned and stretched.

"No, go back to sleep. Abigail and Silver told us all to nap before we go out tonight."

"Out?" Jim repeated hazily.

"We're going back to my house, to see if we can find anything else about the clue."

"And what does your captain think of this?" he joked.

I laughed. "Our captain has been acting like an idiot, so the crew decided to let him sleep through the informational meeting. Don't worry, you didn't miss anything."

"Hey!" he laughed in mock offense as his eyes snapped open. "I was only worried about you. How do you feel now, by the way?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm great now that you're here. You have no idea how happy I am that you're awake, let alone sitting up and having a conversation."

"Hey, I'm a pirate, remember? It'll take more than a mild concussion to hold me down."

Jim grinned. "I would kiss you now, but I'm too tired to sit up." I laughed and kissed him instead. He brushed my hair out of my face gently. "You're really beautiful."

"I think Silver might have given you a bit too much of whatever it was that made you fall asleep," I teased. "You're delusional."

"You're amazing."

I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if he really was a bit drugged. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. I'm tired..." he explained as his eyes closed once again. "Please lay down with me."

I smiled and snuggled against his side. With his arm wrapped around me, the warmth of his body, the gentle repetition of his chest moving up and down as he breathed, it was hard to know how long it took for me to fall asleep...

_Scenes from my childhood, to after Silver saved me, to after I met Jim flashed quickly through my head, barely lingering long enough for me to figure out what was happening..._

_I was in the alley again. The man pinned me against the wall, his hands ran across my body... something distracted him and I shot him. He collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely, then I blacked out...  
_

_Then I was there, at my house, again. A walk up the path, through the door, to the bottom of the stairs - _

_"Tabitha..."_

_I didn't hesitate to follow the voice. I rushed up the stairs and into my parents bedroom, where the voice had been last time._

_"Here, Tabitha," the feminine voice said._

_"What's here? I don't understand."_

_"It's here. The fortune..."_

_"The fortune is here?"_

_"It's right in front of you, dearest," the more familiar, male voice said._

_"But I've already looked here!" My voice sounded distraught, aching as it caught in my throat._

_"The chest, Tabitha..."_

_"I don't understand." I was on the verge of tears._

_"Dearest, the chest, in front of you..." the woman said._

_The chest in front of me... I looked around the room, observing the same surrounding that had been here all the other times. Bed, closet, chair, trunk... a trunk that had a very familiar pattern engraved on the front of it.... I knelt down in front of it and ran my hands over the deep metallic engravings, engravings placed right where the lock would be, if there was one, engravings that were somehow familiar -  
_

_"That's it, dearest."_

_"Wh-what is? I still don't understand."_

_"Tabitha..."_

_"What? Please help me."_

_"It's here..."_

_"The chest..."_

_"Tabitha... Tabitha, come on..."_

_

* * *

_**--Jim's POV--**

I stretched my arms and yawned as sleep finally left me and I felt myself returning to the real world. I sat up and rubbed my face to help me wake up, and then I heard it - a small, quiet noise. I remembered Tabitha in bed with me and turned to look at her, immediately concerned with what I saw. She was teary eyed, and her right hand was running lightly across the covers, as if tracing a pattern.

"Tabitha?" Nothing. She stayed asleep, her eyes watery and her hand moving incessantly. I reached out and stilled her hand, becoming steadily more worried. "Tabitha? Tabitha, come on. Please, wake up."

Her eyes blinked open at the slightly frantic sound of my voice. She looked lost, unsure of where she was or what was happening.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice rough from either sleep or tears.

"You were crying in your sleep," I explained softly.

She blinked again, more tears streaming down her face as she did. As she realized this, she rubbed them away with her sleeve and, sniffling sadly, sat up.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, stroking her hair away from her face. "Does your head hurt?"

She reached back and lightly skimmed her fingers across the wound, but shook her head.

"Was it another nightmare?"

A crease formed in her forehead. "No... a dream."

"Do you remember anything about it?" I asked anxiously.

Tabitha scrunched up her eyes and thought hard. "Not all of it... but part of it was the alley..." She shuddered.

"Oh... So, uh, what happened there, anyway?" I asked tentatively. "I mean, Graham and Silver told me most of it, but what happened when you were in the alley alone with that man?" I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know, but I had to.

"Oh..." she said quietly. "It was a lot like my dreams really... He pushed me against the wall, and I tried to push him off, but he was stronger than me. Then he made some comments about the last time this happened and how I'd 'matured' since then, and he..." She stopped and stared me in the eye for a moment, then looked down at the covers and rushed through the rest. "He kind of ran his hand across my chest and I tried to get him off me, so he hit my head against the wall and I kind of blacked out and then it was just like the dreams and his hands were all over me and I couldn't do anything about it and then his hand - " She stopped and looked back up at me. I nodded, encouraging her on. She blushed lightly and began fiddling with her hair. "Th-then he started to slide his hand down my pants, but I pushed him away, and then Silver showed up - thank God." Tabitha looked up again, and her eyes widened. She immediately moved closer and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm okay, Jim. He didn't hurt me. I'm fine. It could have been a lot worse..."

It took me a minute to figure out why _she_ was consoling _me_, but then I realized I was literally shaking with rage. Yes, Silver and Graham had told me most of what happened, but they hadn't known about what that... _bastard_ had done to her when they were alone. Tabitha was right - it could have been a _lot_ worse - but it wasn't exactly like this outcome was good. The very thought of his hands on her had me clenching the bed covers tightly in my fist, my heart and mind racing with an adrenaline rush fueled by the crave for revenge. I'd never been this angry; I was infuriated with that man, at Ivan, at myself...

"Jim, please," Tabitha begged quietly, snapping me out of my possessed state. "I'm alright, I promise."

"I can't believe he... did that to you," I said tensely.

"Please don't think about it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset. It really wasn't that bad."

"Not that bad?!" my voice rose. "Tabitha, he put his hands on you! And the things he said to you! If that's what he said, I can just imagine what he was thinking about you. Ugh! I... If Silver hadn't shown up when he did..."

She laced her arms around my neck, her pulse and breathing far calmer than mine. After a moment, I sighed and gave up. He was dead, after all. I couldn't do anything about it now.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her. "You'll _never_ have to go through _anything_ like that _ever_ again. I swear."

"Thank you," she mumbled against my neck. She waited, keeping her arms wrapped around me until most of the tension had eased away from me and I'd finally stopped trembling. She laughed quietly. "Just think - all those years at the academy and I couldn't even protect myself. I had to wait until he was distracted to even kill him."

"Don't do that," I told her. "Nothing that happened in that alley was your fault at all."

Tabitha nodded and remained quiet for a long time, then whimpered, "I'm a murderer."

"No. No," I insisted comfortingly, pulling back to wipe away a few stray tears. "No. Murder implies that it was vicious, or your fault, and it wasn't. It was self-defense." I sighed. "I know how you feel." She looked up, confused. "Scroop?" Her lips formed a silent 'o' as she remembered. "You can't blame yourself. That guy made you suffer for eight years. I don't want to say he deserved it, but he got what was coming to him, and I don't think any less of you for doing it. You had to."

It took her a minute, but finally she smiled halfheartedly. "He's probably just lucky you weren't there." I knew by her tone that she'd meant for it to lighten the mood, but it only made me feel more guilty, and I couldn't help frowning. "Hey, wait, I wasn't - "

"No, I know," I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. "But I _should_ have been there. You never should have had to do that."

She moved even closer and shifted so that she was sitting on her knees. "Jim, don't you dare try to blame yourself for - "

"I _should_ be blaming myself. There's no reason you should have had to go through any of that. I was stupid."

"No, _now_ you're being stupid," she retorted. "Listen to me - it was not your fault." I opened my mouth to disagree, but she cut me off. "Stop it! If I hear you apologize or try to blame yourself for any of this one more time, I'll... I'll never kiss you again."

I knew it was a hollow threat, but I still blinked in shock. That quickly changed to a smirk and I scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Oh, don't believe me?" she teased.

"Nope," I laughed and crossed my arms. "I know I'm too irresistible to you."

She raised her eyebrows tauntingly, but a coy smile played across her lips. "Want to test that theory, Hawkins?"

I grinned and leaned over to kiss her, but she casually turned her head away. I wasn't going to give up that easily, so I kissed her neck instead, smirking a bit when I sensed her tense as she tried not to laugh or otherwise give away that she was enjoying it, though I knew she was. She only lasted a minute though before she suddenly grabbed me and pulled my lips towards hers, knocking us both back down to the bed.

"Told you so," I laughed as I landed mostly on top of her. She laughed too and started to kiss me again, but I paused. "Uh, so... this is okay? I mean, you're nightmares... I-I don't want to... scare you, or something. Can I...?"

She smiled and answered by pulling my lips to hers once again. I sighed in relief. It felt like years since I'd last been able to kiss her, or even be this close to her, though it had really only been a few days. With her nightmares now seemingly a thing of the past though, I couldn't help myself. I still tried not to get too caught up, but, stars above, she knew _exactly_ what she was doing to me, and I wasn't the least bit tempted to resist. Her fiery hands moved from around my neck to my chest. My hands, which were currently positioned on her hips, clenched as I struggled not to moan with pleasure. Her fingers ran through my hair, pulling me deeper into this kiss and leading my thoughts farther and farther away from their previously content state. As ideas of what to do next flooded my mind, I moved my hand up underneath her shirt. Suddenly, the tiny voice of logic, or my conscience, or whatever it was, spoke up, reminding me of my previous realization about this. My hand only made it to her abdomen though before I caught myself and pulled back, leaving her looking shell-shocked and grasping for more.

_Damned hormones._ "I'm sorry, but I have to talk to you about... this."

"I, um... okay?" Tabitha stuttered, still panting and unsure of my actions. "'This' as in...?"

"The physical part of our relationship." I moved off of her and rolled onto my side to face her, my chest still heaving and my heart racing like I'd been running laps back at the academy. "I think we need to... take it easy."

"O-okay..." she began confusedly, as she rolled over to face me as well. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I-I was thinking about it, and I realized that lately, we've spent _way_ more time on that part of our relationship than we have on any other, like talking and stuff."

"Oh. I hadn't really thought about it..." Her gaze became far off as she thought back.

"Well, I hadn't either until we had that argument when Rylee was kidnapped, but think about it. A couple of months ago, the least amount of clothing I'd ever seen you in was a nightgown. We went from that to us making out in bed, in our underclothes." _Hey, not that I'm complaining._ The very thought of it set my heart racing again. Her face flushed pink and she lowered her eyes. I reached out and grabbed her hand, but continued. "What really got me was that dream I had, though." _God, that dream._ I'd never felt so guilty and impassioned at the same time than when Tabitha woke me up that night. I'd never been caught more off guard and felt less prepared in my life. I'd never had such a hard time distinguishing between what was real and what was just an incredibly vivid dream. It wasn't until I'd tried to slide the strap of her bra down (I cringed inwardly from embarrassment) and Tabitha had stopped me that I'd known I actually was awake. Testing boundaries should not be the only way for me to find out whether I'm awake or asleep. "I-I've had dreams about you before, but they were never that, you know... intense." This time, I blushed. I rolled over onto my back to stare at the ceiling instead of Tabitha. "I just... really don't want to rush anything. Y-you know that it's really, _really_ easy for me to get carried away with you, and I'm afraid I'm going to end up pushing you - er, well, both of us, really - into something we regret." I slowly released a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Please don't take it the wrong way."

_The wrong way? _Part of my mind scoffed. _What's the wrong way? It's not you, it's me. Everything about you is sensually intoxicating, and my hormones won't let me forget it._ I could only blame my hormones for so much of it, though. They were doing there best to make sure I was attracted to every detail of Tabitha, from the way she said my name, to the way her cerulean eyes sparkled when she was happy, to the way even the lightest touch from her had the power to send chills to my core... but I still had to be in control. Which was exactly why I was having this talk now - because I was going to need all the help I could get from her to make sure I didn't take things a step too far._ Yes, please help your completely enamored boyfriend not be so attracted to you so that he doesn't try to_ - I sighed. _I'm hopeless._ It was hard to believe that after three years of moving at incredibly slow rates, so much had transpired in the last couple of months. We'd never wanted to move faster, though. Everything was new - for both of us - and we didn't want to rush it, or regret anything, or get ahead of ourselves. We were naive and scared every step of the way... until recently.**  
**

I felt her fingers against my forehead as she brushed my bangs away. I opened my eyes and looked up nervously, but she smiled. "Jim, that was really, really sweet. I don't think I _could_ take it the wrong way. I-I'm kind of glad you pointed it out, because, well, I hadn't thought about it, and you're completely right. I can get carried away with you just as easily - "

"I know," I laughed. "Don't think I haven't forgotten how you woke me up from that dream."

Her cheeks went crimson as she avoided looking me in the eye. "Yeah, well..."

I couldn't help grinning. "You're cute when you're embarrassed."

Tabitha's face darkened even more and she attempted to hide it by burying her face against my chest. I laughed and kissed the top of her head as I wrapped my arm around her and closed my eyes contentedly.

"So you've dreamed about me before, huh?"

My eyes shot back open. _Damn._ "Um, I... uh, yeah."

"And... what happens in these dreams?"

I tried to determine if there was some hint in her voice that would give away if she was teasing me or actually curious, but there was nothing. I gulped loudly and shifted uncomfortably beneath her. "Er, just... you know..."

"No, I don't. Tell me."

"W-well, basically... the same things that we do, i-in real life, except..."

"Except what?"

_Except that there's no consequences, so there's never any reason to stop._ "Except... more?" I said, vague and unsure of how to explain without sounding too tactless. "Y-you know... what _could_ happen." I could only imagine what she thought of me now. It was embarrassing enough to find out she'd heard me talking in my sleep the last time I'd dreamed about her, but having to explain that it wasn't the first time I'd had a dream like that was mortifying beyond belief. It was definitely not something I'd planned on admitting or discussing, let alone with the girl of my dreams (both literally and figuratively), and the fact that she was refusing to speak now only made me more anxious. "I... I-I'm sorry. I don't... _mean_ to, th-they just happen." _Why does talking about anything physical between me and Tabitha have the ability to fluster me to the point of losing the ability to speak?_ It always had - something our friends knew and used whenever they saw fit, which was often.

I knew my face was glowing red, but my suspicious were confirmed when Tabitha sat up to look at me, smirking playfully. "You're cute when you're embarrassed."

I gaped at her, hovering somewhere between amusement and annoyance. "You..."

She giggled and kissed my cheek. "Come on. Let's get up."

"Aw... 5 more minutes," I jokingly groaned.

"No! Come on!" she said as she tugged on my arm.

"Fine," I laughed as I rolled out of bed. I unconsciously made the decision to throw my arms around her and hold her tightly. "I love you. A lot."

She returned the embrace. "I love you, too, a lot."

I took a deep breath, gently stroking her hair as I breathed in that sweet, uplifting scent that of fresh air that she always had. She turned her head and pressed her face against my neck and I couldn't have stopped myself from smiling if I'd wanted to. "I love you," I whispered again.

Tabitha laughed at the repetition. "I love you, too."

I pulled back and quickly kissed her. "I love you."

"What? Am I saying the wrong thing?"

"No," I chuckled. "I just feel like I haven't said it to you enough recently and now I need to tell you about a hundred more times. I love you."

"Well, that was one..." She grinned and kissed me. "And you can count that as the other 99."

"I only said _about_ a hundred," I smirked as I kissed her again. Tabitha smiled and relaxed. I'd just had time to pull her closer as I began to kiss her more passionately, when there was a quick knock on the door, followed by it swinging open.

"Alrigh', pups, time t' - " Silver stopped as Tabitha and I abruptly pulled apart, then he smirked. "Well, never mind t'en. I was just comin' t' wake ya up, but seems yer awake 'nough."

I grinned as I watched Tabitha's cheeks turn pink once again from out of the corner of my eyes. She tried to pull away, but I kept my arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Silver and I both laughed as she attempted to casually hide her face.

"I don' know why ya get so embarrassed, Tabby," Silver chuckled. "It ain't like I don know ya kiss 'im."

"He's seen us do it before," I added.

"Guess I should jus' be glad kissin's all ya were doin'. Heaven knows what you two kids get int' 'ehind closed doors," he winked.

"Silver!" Tabitha chastised as her face went from pink to red while Silver and I continued to laugh at her embarrassed reaction.

"Oh, leave her alone," Abigail said as she entered the room. "You're embarrassing her."

"I'm only teasin' t'e lass," Silver chuckled.

Abigail rolled her eyes. "Are you all ready?"

"Uh, guess so," I shrugged.

"Good, then come on. Everyone else is ready, too."

"We'll be right there," Tabitha claimed.

"Why can't ya jus' come now?" Silver smirked again.

"Get out of here!" she laughed.

"I agree. Give them a minute," Abigail suggested.

"I was only askin'!" Silver laughed as the door shut behind him.

I laughed to myself then looked down at Tabitha, but her face was now solemn. My smile quickly fell as I observed how quickly she'd gone from happy-go-lucky to serious; she'd always had a knack for doing that - pushing aside other emotions to focus on whatever task was at hand.

"Hey," I said, tilting her chin up. "You can do this."

"What if I can't?" she questioned, her voice suddenly frantic. "What if we don't find anything at my house? What if I can never figure out the clue? What if I can't find the fortune? What if I can't get Rylee back? What will happen to Cason? What if someone else gets hurt? What if... what if... " She sighed heavily and leaned her forehead against my chest. The next time she spoke, her voice was barely a whisper, and I had to strain to understand what she said. "I'm scared, Jim. I'm really scared."

"Okay. It's okay, shh," I soothed as I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed her back. "Everything's going to be fine. You're going to figure out the clue. You're going to find the fortune. You're going to get Rylee back. And in the end, everyone will still be here, safe and sound." I pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I love you, Tabitha. You can do this. You'll figure it out and everything will be fine."

"But - "

"No, don't," I stopped her. "Focus on the positive for now. We'll do this one step at a time. Right now, all you need to focus on is that we're going to your house." She nodded, but didn't look the least bit convinced. "I'll be right there, holding your hand, every step of the way, okay? You'll be fine. I promise."

Tabitha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then slowly let it go. "Okay."

I kissed her forehead and laced my fingers through hers as we headed up to the deck. Morph chirped happily when he saw me and rushed over to excitedly lick my face. I laughed and petted him.

"Okay, can we go now?" Cason asked eagerly.

"Are you ready?" a remarkably well-looking Commodore Aldamae asked me and Tabitha.

Tabitha opened her mouth then hesitated, looking down at what she was wearing. "Hey, what happened to my dad's jacket? I was wearing it that night in the alley..."

"It got a bit o' blood on it, but nothin' too bad. Ya can hardly see it," Silver explained.

"So it isn't ruined? Where is it?"

"Layin' on t'e chest in yer bedroom." Morph transformed into an image to illustrate.

"How on Montressor can you wear a jacket in this weather?" Graham questioned.

Tabitha started to rush off to get it, then suddenly froze halfway across the deck and turned slowly back around, a look of shock on her face. "What did you say?"

Graham started. "I just asked how you could wear a jacket - "

"No, not you!" she interrupted hastily, rushing back towards us. "Silver! What did you say?"

"I... I said yer pap's jacket's layin' on t'e chest in yer bedroom."

Tabitha's gaze shifted back and forth, focusing on nothing in particular, as she seemed to calculate something. She closed her eyes, scrunching them up tightly as if trying to remember something. Then, they flew back open and she gasped. "That's it!"

"Tabitha?" I questioned. Morph squeaked confusedly as well. I looked at him, and we both shrugged in unison.

"I..." she started to explain, then she just smiled and rushed off. The rest of us exchanged confused glances before following her down to her bedroom. She was standing in front of the chest, looking back and forth from it to her pocket watch.

"What's going on?" Theodore questioned.

"It's... of course! Of course, that's it!" she laughed to herself.

"It?" Morph repeated.

"What are ya talkin' bout, lass?" Silver asked worriedly.

"I did it!" she said joyfully as she pulled on her jacket.

"Did what?" I asked.

Tabitha looked up, her face beaming with a thrilled smile. "I just solved the clue!"

* * *

**Who else got it?  
**

**Okay, don't kill me! Chillax! We're going to get Rylee back soon. We're actually pretty close to the end of the story now. I think there's only 5 more chapters, tops. Hard to believe, huh? But don't worry! They're are still surprises in store!**

**I've mentioned this before, but once again, I'd love if anyone wants to draw some art from this. I did one picture, but it's not fantastic or anything... if I decide I like it enough to put it online, I'll post the link so you can see it. **

**Once again, thank you for sticking around through this incredibly, ridiculously long story. I'm so glad you all still like it and that you've helped it become so popular! I appreciate all of your reviews and support more than I can ever say! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

**I 3 reviews!**  
**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: Don't worry! We'll get her! Thank you so much for your support, fellow fangirl!  
anon: Good point on the law enforcement. You'll see how that plays out :) I'm so glad you liked it!  
23jk: Thank you! We'll get Rylee! Don't worry!  
Horsygirl 96: Yeah, I was starting to wonder if you'd ever come back! Glad you did :D Thank you so much, and I'm so glad you liked the chapters!  
SweetAngel183: Not quite! Sorry! We are close though! Thank you!  
Kristy: Okay, okay - hold it. Jim? Seriously? Come on, it was mean when you were going to kill Morph, but JIM? You can't do that. He's Jim Hawkins! He's too awesome to die! Not to mention adorable. How could you possibly kill someone that cute? That's right, you couldn't. Besides, would you really want that angry mob of fangirls after you? I don't know if you've met some of these chicks, but some of them are ca-ray-zee! XD Anyway, I'm glad you like my story! Despite the fact you threatened Jim... :D  
**


	40. It All Falls Together

**First of all - HOLY DRAMA LLAMA! My story currently has 180 comments and over 10,000 views! OH! MY! GOD! Thank you SO MUCH you guys! Seriously, I love you like as much as Jim loves Tabitha, just in a different way :D**

**I'm not so sure about this whole climax thing. I'm not the best writer of action, and I'm not entirely sure this all makes sense... Hope you guys like it...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Tabitha flung the front door to her house open and rushed in, closely followed by Jim and the rest of their friends, except Commodore Aldamae, who was still feeling a bit weak and opted to watch the ship.

"I really hope I'm right about this," Tabitha murmured quietly.

Jim squeezed her hand. "You are. You've got to be."

Tabitha took a deep breath, rushed up the steps, and entered the room while everyone filed in behind her. She walked over to the chest and stood staring at it for a moment, relieved to see that the patterns were just as she'd expected them to be. Everything was falling into place. It had been so blatantly obvious since the beginning, but it was only just starting to click together. The clue about the chest meant 'chest' as in a trunk, not a part of the body. That was why the chest Jim noticed the last time they'd come to her house didn't appear to have any way to open it. That was why the engravings on the front of the watch were so deep and intricate.

"Go 'head, lass," Silver encouraged.

Tabitha nodded and pulled the pocket watch off from around her neck. Slowly, she knelt down in front of the chest, lined the engravings of the watch up with the engravings of the face plate on the trunk, and pushed them together. Nothing happened.

"Are we sure it's a key?" Landon asked quietly. Morph zipped over and observed the mechanism.

"It has to be!" Tabitha insisted.

Just as she finished speaking, there was a loud click and the watch fell open, revealing a small hologram of a husky, middle-aged man with blond hair. Morph gave a startled squeak and zipped back to Silver. Tabitha's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

"Who is that?" Theodore and August asked at once.

Tabitha was too shocked to speak, so Abigail answered for her. "Her father."

"Hello, Tabitha," the hologram spoke. "I see you've figured out the location of the fortune. Bravo, dearest! I knew you could do it." The man paused and took a deep breath. "I suppose I owe you a lot of explanation, explanation that I should have given to you long ago. I'm sorry, Tabitha. I just didn't know how to tell you. Even now I don't know how to tell you," he laughed nervously. "First, you must understand that everything I've done has been to protect you, and I'll explain why. If you have found the note I left for you in the closet, then this is an explanation of that. If you have not, do not be concerned. Everything will be clear."

"The note read, 'You look just like your mother, Tabitha. I loved her. Thank you and forgive me.' Not much to go on, I know. I apologize for never telling you out loud how much I love you, Tabitha. I should have told you every moment of every day, but I couldn't. You look so much like your mother. Every time I saw you, I saw her, and I... just couldn't bring myself to say it." He lowered his head and took a deep breath, then looked back up. "But I do love you, Tabitha. So much. Which is part of the reason I've put you through so much. I didn't want to see you hurt..."

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure how to explain everything to you. Perhaps I should simply start from the beginning. Charlotte - who claims to be Melody's cousin - came to me after her death, demanding I hand over the Reddend Fortune - the fortune that was passed down through your mother's family, ending with her father. I, of course, had no idea what has become of it sense then, since it was never in Melody's possession. I didn't want to hand it over, but she threatened to kill you. I-I couldn't bare to lose you, too, Tabitha, not after I'd already lost your mother. So I set to work trying to find it, spending countless hours working with little to nothing, all to protect you. I've been trying to decipher the small amounts of information left behind after your grandfather's, and now your mother's, death." He stopped and smiled. "By the way - I know you're reading her diaries as well. Each time I search them for information, they are positioned differently in the drawer." His smile fell once again, and he cleared his throat. "I haven't been able to figure anything out about the location - until now."

"Listen closely to me, Tabitha. This is of the utmost importance. There is a man named Ivan Bryne. I don't know if you remember him, but the two of you met when you were a child, just before your mother died. Your mother and I were good friends with him for years and appointed him to be your godfather. Listen to me, Tabitha." His gaze became serious and he seemed to be staring right at her. "You must not trust this man. I don't care what he tells you - don't do it. I've figured out that he and Charlotte are working together to get the fortune. We made the mistake of telling Ivan about it, and now he's going to stop at nothing until he gets it. I..." her father swallowed anxiously. "I can't be entirely sure, but every part of me wants to say that he... that he murdered your mother." He released a shuddering breath and his explanation became quicker. "It's simply too coincidental. We meet him, tell him of the fortune, appoint him as your godfather, then a few weeks later Melody comes down with a 'mysterious illness' and dies, out of the blue? Again, I have no solid proof, but it just... feels that way."

"This is precisely the reason I am presenting this information to you this way. I said before that I hadn't been able to figure out the location of the fortune until now. The thing is, I have not told Charlotte that I know the location. As far as she's concerned, I've reached a dead end. However, I know it's only a matter of time before she and Ivan figure out that I'm lying. From what I can figure out, when that time comes, there are three possibilities of what Ivan will do. One, give up and move on, which is not something Ivan does. He's determined, Tabitha. He wants this fortune. Two, he could threaten to hurt you, in which case I will be forced to hand it over. If you're wondering why I don't just do that now, it's because I want you to have the fortune Tabitha. It's yours. I just need to wait until your old enough to understand and handle all of this. I will not step aside and let the man I believe murdered your mother steal what rightfully belongs to you." He paused and took a deep breath. "Three, he could decide that I'm no longer of any use to him and... get rid of me."

"Knowing Ivan, I believe the last one will be his option. I'm assuming he believes you know just as much about this fortune as I do. If I'm out of the way, then he only has you to manipulate. Here is what you need to know, Tabitha - Ivan and Charlotte believe I don't know where the fortune is, but I do. I have left one clue, which I'm hoping only you will be able to figure out. If you're watching this, then I suppose you have!" he laughed. "This is the reason I gave you the pocket watch. I remembered how much you enjoyed tracing the engravings on the front of it as a child. As you now know, those engravings line up with the front of this chest and allow you to open it, as a key would a lock. I knew that even if Ivan and Charlotte found the clue, they would never pay as much attention to the design of the watch as you have. Therefore, only you have the ability to solve the clue to the Reddend Fortune's location, which you have! Because it's right here - inside this chest - accompanied by a more detailed story behind how it came to be."

"So... congratulations, once again, I suppose! I... I wish there was a way for me to explain all this in person, but I really don't want to involve you unless it becomes an absolute necessity. Please, please forgive me for everything I've done to you, Tabitha. I love you more than words could ever express. Your mother did as well. I don't know how much you remember about her, but she truly cared about you, more than anything in the Etherium. Continuing with the theory that I am no longer with you, I wish you all the happiness one could possibly have. I hope you use this fortune to fulfill any and all of your dreams. I hope you fall in love with someone who loves you as much as I loved your mother, and I hope one day the two of you have a child. Then you'll understand how much I care about you."

"I love you, Tabitha. Always remember I love you."

And with that, the holograph faded away, leaving the room silent as the grave. No one moved, or spoke, or breathed for what seemed like the longest time, until suddenly, there was the sound of slow clapping as every head turned to watch Ivan enter the room.

"Bravo, Tabitha," he smiled evilly. "I just knew you could do it. "Every person in the room raised their gun to him, preparing to shoot when -

"I don't think so," Ivan said, holding up a finger. "Must I remind you of your little friend?"

"Rylee! Rylee!" Morph squeaked angrily, transforming into the girl.

"Oh, yes. Rylee."

"You son-of-a-bitch! Where is she?!" Cason demanded, starting to lunge for Ivan until Landon and Graham restrained him.

"Oh, she's perfectly safe and sound." No one so much as batted an eye. "Don't believe me? Have a look," he said, gesturing out the window.

Hesitantly, Cason, Abigail, and Morph rushed to the window and breathed a sigh of relief. "She's okay," Abigail said.

"Yes, for now," Ivan said. "However, if any of you shoot me, I'm afraid it will be the same as shooting Rylee. If I don't walk out of this building unharmed, Rylee isn't going to make it." He smirked. "So I suggest you lower your weapons."

No one moved a muscle.

"You guys, please! We have to!" Cason begged.

"I agree," Abigail added. "Don't test him."

Slowly, everyone lowered their gun to their side, but kept it charged and ready. Morph whimpered nervously as he watched the scene unfold.

"Thank you, Charlotte," Ivan grinned, walking over to him. "Whatever happened to you? I thought things were going so well." He lifted her hand to his lips, but she jerked away.

"Things were never 'well' between us. I never cared about you."

"Your actions proved otherwise," he smirked, running his hand down her arm before she shifted away again.

"Don't ya dare touch her!" Silver said, stepping forward to the man and pulling him away from her.

"Ah, John! It's nice to see you again as well."

"Yer ne'er t' lay a hand on 'er again, or Heaven help me, I'll - "

"What do you care?" Ivan asked in amusement. "How do you two even - Oh." He stopped and turned back to Abigail, then back to Silver. Then back to her. "Oh!" He laughed uproariously. "_You're_ him? _You're_ the boyfriend she left behind in order to find the fortune?" He smirked. "Well... how does that feel?"

"Shut yer yap!" Silver ordered.

"It doesn't matter now!" Abigail argued. "It's in the past. The fact is that I love him, not you, and I can't believe I ever listened to a single thing you said to me or let you put one hand on me."

"Ouch. That hurt, Charlotte," he said sarcastically.

"My name's Abigail, not Charlotte! You switched up mine and my mother's names when you came to find me.

Ivan rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. But you're right. Though I'm sure I could have used the fact that you and John were sweethearts to my advantage if I'd known before now, it doesn't matter. What does matter is the fact that Tabitha here has found the Reddend Fortune! Congratulations!"

He turned back to face her, or Jim, as it were, who had stepped in front of her defensively. Ivan walked over, completely intimidated by this method. "Move, Mr. Hawkins. I wish to speak to Tabitha."

Jim didn't even blink.

"Jim," Tabitha whispered quietly. "Please... I need to do this. This is between me and him."

He turned to look at her, concern, fear, and anger all registering across his features, then he turned back to glare daggers again at Ivan before stepping slightly to the side. Tabitha sucked in a deep breath, standing up confidently, and faced Ivan dead on.

"Why?"

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Why?" she repeated. "Why did you do all of this? Why do you want this fortune so bad? Why?"

"Ah, good questions," he nodded. "I suppose I do owe you an explanation..."

Unnoticed by all, Morph flitted out of the room.

"From the beginning, then?" he asked. "Your parents told me of the fortune because they wanted to find it, and they needed someone to be a caregiver to you if something were to happen to them. That was their first mistake. After that, all I had to do was let them find out the location, then get them out of the way."

"So you did kill them?" Tabitha asked. "My parents?"

"Yes, indeed."

Abigail gasped. "You... how could you..."

"Oh, yes, Charlotte - I mean, _Abigail_. Even you didn't know all of the plan." He grinned sadistically and turned back to Tabitha. "Your mother was first. Since your parents both knew the same small amount of information about the fortune, I had to decided which one would be more likely to work to find it under the circumstances I provided. Your father was always sensitive - too sensitive. Getting your mother out of the way, then threatening your life, would make him quite vulnerable and easy to manipulate. So I slowly began to poison her. Or rather, her 'nurse' did, as it were."

"What?" Tabitha gasped in shock.

Ivan ignored her. "Everything was fine, for a while, until your father got smart and began to catch on to my little scheme. He was right - I did believe that you were involved in this fortune hunt as much as he was, which was why when he explained that he'd 'reached a dead end', I believed the best solution would be to kill him as well and let you carry out what your parents before you had failed to do. So that's exactly what I did. I poisoned him as I did your mother, just with a quicker, instantly lethal dose. And then you were going to be next."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Didn't you notice? The refreshments every time you came to visit? The fact that you were getting sick? Did you honestly never put it together?"

"You were poisoning her?" Jim asked, quiet, yet severely accusatory.

"Slowly, yes. I wasn't sure when I would kill you, only that I would, and the weaker you were, the easier it would be."

"You bastard," Tabitha whispered. "So you were going to make me find the fortune, hand it over to you, then kill me?"

"Precisely." He pointed a gun at her head. Several observers gasped loudly and Jim and Silver both automatically raised guns as well, but Ivan stopped them. "I would simply like to point out that if you shoot me now, you will lose both Tabitha and Rylee. I _will_ take Tabitha out with me. Is that really what you want to happen?" They reluctantly lowered their guns and Jim cursed under his breath. "Very good. Now then - " he turned to Tabitha. "Honestly, I could just shoot you and take the fortune, but I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you a chance to live. Just hand over the fortune and you'll be free to live the rest of your life in peace. If not, I'll shoot."

"No, don't!" August suddenly said. "If he kills you, he won't be able to get past us with the fortune. He knows that!"

"No! Rylee!" Cason cried out.

Ivan smiled that evil smile. He knew he'd created the perfect crime. "Step aside, Tabitha. I'm being lenient."

"No."

Ivan's grin faltered momentarily. "What?"

"No," she repeated, fixing her footing in front of the chest. "I'm not moving."

"Tabitha!" Jim shouted.

"Don't be foolish like your parents," Ivan snapped. "They were terrible judges of character, and look where it got them. Don't test me. You won't like the results."

"I don't care! I won't step aside and let the man who murdered both my parents steal what rightfully belongs to me! Not after everything I've been through. I won't!"

* * *

Morph zipped down the steps and outside to where Rylee was bound and gagged, guarded by three men. He quickly morphed into a butterfly to disguise himself from her captors and rushed over to her, squeaking quietly. She mumbled something unintelligible, but Morph already knew what he had to do. He rushed over a few feet away to where some old metal trash cans were resting and rushed headfirst into them, knocking them loudly to the ground. The guards jumped.

"What in tarnation was that?" one shouted.

"Hell if I know," a second said.

The third walked over to check it out, keeping his gun at the ready. Meanwhile, Morph has turned into a pair of scissors and was busy cutting away at the rope that bound Rylee's hands.

"Don't see nothing," the third said.

"Aw, who knows? Probably just the wind," the second said.

With Rylee's hands now free, Morph began the next part of his plan. He rushed over to the third man and zipped up into his face, chatting animatedly to distract him.

"Bloody hell! What is t'at thing?"

The other two laughed as Morph zipped around the man, causing him to twist and turn in circles as he swatted at the tiny shape-shifter. Meanwhile, Rylee was untying her gag.

"Get it away from me!"

The other two continued to laugh as Morph backed the man up to the cans and knocked him backwards into one of them. By this time, Rylee was untied, but remained sitting for the time being. Morph quickly zipped after the man and grabbed his gun from him.

"Now, Morph!" Rylee shouted.

The other two guards, distracted by the scene of their friend, turned around just in time for Rylee to kick one of them where the sun don't shine. She caught the gun as Morph dropped it to her and pointed it at the last standing guard. "Drop your weapon!"

He quickly threw it to the ground. "P-please don't shoot!"

Morph grabbed that one while Rylee grabbed the one from the man who was still writing in pain on the ground. With all three disarmed, they quickly realized they were at a huge loss.

"Get out of here!" she demanded of them.

"Get out of here!" Morph repeated.

The men, stumbling over their own feet, and shouting in fear, turned and ran for their lives, leaving behind a smirking Rylee and a giggling little blob.

"Nice going, Morph!" she said holding up her hand. "Where'd you learn that?"

Morph gave her a high five, then turned into Silver.

"Oh, of course," she laughed. "This isn't your first rescue mission, is it?"

Morph shook his head.

"Come on! We've got some friends to save!"

* * *

"I won't ask again. Move aside!"

"No!" Tabitha shouted.

"Tabitha, please!" Jim begged.

"There's still Rylee!" Cason begged.

Landon, August, and Theodore stayed huddled together trying to figure out something to do. Abigail was standing motionless beside them, frozen in terror.

"Tabby - " Silver said.

"Stop trying to change my mind!" she yelled as tears sprang to her eyes. "Jim, Silver, all of you - I love you... but I can't just step aside. I'm sorry..."

"Then, I guess this is goodbye," Ivan said, cocking the gun.

Tabitha squinted her eyes, listening to her friends hastily try to figure something out, but she didn't focus on it. Then, just as they'd all feared and expected, there was a loud shot.

"No!" Jim shouted in anguish.

"Tabby!" Silver shouted.

The rest of the exclamations were a blur to Tabitha as she... wait. She... she was still standing.

"What...?" Theodore said.

Tabitha timidly opened her eyes and looked around. Everyone was staring at the ground in front of her in shock, where Ivan lay bleeding, shot from behind. Everyone looked around to figure out who had done it, and who had simultaneously sentenced Rylee to death.

"Rylee!" Landon shouted.

Rylee stood panting in the doorway, a smoking gun in her hand, staring at the body on the floor. Finally she looked up. Before she could speak up, Cason threw his arms around her. Surprised, she dropped the gun, and returned the embrace just as he burst into tears. "I love you, too," he sobbed out the words he'd been waiting so long to say, terrified he'd never be able to. She moved her arms up to around his neck and held him tightly.

Tabitha released all the air she'd been subconsciously holding in her lungs just as her view was suddenly blocked when Jim stepped in front of her, looking severely unhappy. "You're completely insane! You know that?"

"Jim, I had to! I couldn't just let him walk off with this fortune! Do you realize everything I've gone through for this! You should! You've been around for it! And you expected me to just step aside and let him take it!? I had to stop him. I... I just knew that everything would work out. I don't know how, but I did... I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you. I didn't want to do that, but I just couldn't let him - "

Her explanation was also abruptly stopped when Jim's lips met hers for only a second before he pulled back, shaking his head. "Don't you ever scare me like that again. I can't lose you, Tabitha. I-I don't know what I'd do."

"You'll never have to know." The stress from everything hit Tabitha like a ton of bricks and she burst into tears, almost collapsing to her knees until Jim's strong arms caught and supported her.

"It's over," he whispered, comforting her the same way he did when she was terrified from her nightmares. "It's all over. Everything's fine. I'm here. Don't worry..."

"Oh, 'ave mercy," Silver sighed, sitting down on the bed. "I'm gettin' to old to be doin' t'is." Abigail sat next to him and leaned against his shoulder.

They all simply waited, basking in the overwhelming relief that it was all over and done with. There was nothing to worry about. Everyone was safe. They were all reunited with the ones they loved. They had everything they could ever need. Cason, now finished interrogating Rylee with typical questions on what had happened to her during their time apart, was back to holding her while they both silently cried. Jim kept his arms wrapped around Tabitha while her body racked with sobs of the strangest kind - they weren't sad, but they weren't exactly happy, they were just relieved, as if she was finally letting go of everything she'd been holding onto. Silver and Abigail sat observing everyone else. Graham, Theodore, August, and Landon held their own conversation amongst themselves about everything that had happened.

Finally, Silver got up and walked over to Tabitha and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yer okay now, lass."

Everyone turned to watch as Tabitha pulled back from Jim and nodded. "I'm so glad it's over."

"We all are," Graham laughed.

Abigail smiled and walked over to Tabitha as well. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to see this fortune."

Several other cheers of agreement followed.

"I'd almost forgotten," Tabitha laughed at her own stupidity and brushed her bangs from her face. Tabitha knelt down in front of the chest. "Um..."

"Use the times," Theodore said. "Like a combination."

"Oh, right!" She twisted the hands to the numbers - 2, 7, 3, 12 - then there were several loud clicks and the lid popped open just slightly. Everyone sucked in a breath as Tabitha slowly opened the lid. The first thing they saw were a few sheets of paper, all in her father's handwriting, describing the history of the fortune in greater detail. She delicately placed those on the ground and looked at the mountains of... money?

"What...?" Jim asked confusedly. "What is that?"

"Is this money?" Tabitha asked.

"It doesn't look like any I've ever seen," Graham added.

Everyone approached it and took a better look. At almost exactly the same time, August, Silver, and Abigail burst into laughter.

"What?" Tabitha asked. "What's so funny?"

"It's melyo bills!" August continued to laugh.

"What the hell are melyo bills?" Cason asked.

Abigail regained her composure long enough to explain. "Melyo bills are from the planet Melyo in the galaxy of Melyo."

"Wait, what?" Jim questioned. "There's a planet called Melyo in a galaxy called Melyo?"

"I've never even heard of Melyo," Rylee commented.

"Not many have," August said. "It's the smallest galaxy in the Etherium. A long time ago it was a major trade area - lots of traffic to and from carrying goods and services."

"And also lots of pirates, I'm guessing?" Tabitha asked. "I'm assuming that since this is a pirate fortune, and it's all made in that kind of money..."

"Bingo," Abigail added. "Eventually, though, a war broke out there, and since then it's been all but useless."

"So... what does this mean?" Theodore asked.

"It means that 'fortune' ain't worth a damned thing!" Silver chuckled.

"Wha - " Jim said angrily, throwing his hands in the air. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Tabitha suddenly burst into laughter with the other three "So it's really not worth anything?"

"Not here at least," Abigail explained.

August shrugged. "You could always take it there and trade it for something that holds value everywhere, like gold."

"So we went through all this for nothing?" Cason asked, sounding angry and disappointed.

Tabitha grinned and shook her head. "No, not at all. Don't you see? Sure, the fortune itself may not be what we expected, but like August said, we can always trade it. In the meantime though, we all got something else out of it, right? Cason and Rylee - you got each other. Landon, you got Isabelle. Graham, August, Theodore - you all got to have fun with the local girls. Silver and Abigail - you two got each other again. I got to learn all about my family..."

Everyone smiled as they realized she was right, then turned to look at Jim - oddly enough, the one person who hadn't been mentioned. He looked at all of them, then gulped and turned to Tabitha. "So what do I get?"

"Nothing, yet," she smiled and stepped closer, grabbing his hands. "You're going to have to _ask me_ first."

Jim's jaw dropped slightly. He knew exactly what she meant. Everyone in the room knew exactly what she meant. It was such a perfect moment - it was the perfect end to this happily ever after. "Tabitha, I..." he reached into his pocket... and cursed inwardly. The box wasn't there. The night it had fallen out of his bag... it was back on the ship. Trying not to let his extreme disappointment show too much externally, he simply sighed, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Let's go back to the ship."

Everyone there blinked in shock, but Tabitha simply rolled her eyes and took Jim's hand, shooting him a smile that said exactly what they were both thinking at the time -

I don't understand you, but I can't help but love you.

* * *

**Please don't throw anything at me! Jim will propose - I promise! Soon!**

**So it wasn't that bad, was it? I'm just not entirely confident about my action/adventure writing skills yet. Heck, I'm not entirely confident about any of my writing skills yet, but these especially. I hope it didn't come across too deus ex machina, but this was really the only way I could make it all work out. I like it, at least. Bet you weren't expecting that whole twist on Ivan killing her parents, were you? Thank Heaven's he's dead now. I realize he's my OC, but he's a total bastard.**

**I really hope most everything has been answered by now... if I'm leaving out something, please leave it in a comment. I really, really hope I'm not. That would be super embarrassing and completely ruin the flow of the story.  
**

**I think we're down to two, maybe three more chapters. The end is near! :(**

**But there are still surprises! :)**

**And before I forget - EVERYONE SHOULD GO CHECK OUT NeverTooLate03's STORY! Seriously, it's fantastic, and it needs so much more love than it's getting! If you want, trade in a comment you would leave for me and give it to her instead. She deserves it at least as much as I do :D  
**

**Thanks for reading and (hopefully) reviewing!  
-Emily**

**

* * *

+Responses to Reviews+**

**NeverTooLate03: Rylee's back! Hooray! Thank you for always reviewing! Don't stop now!  
23jk: Trust me, I can't draw my way out of a paper bag; I'm sure anything you can draw will be better than what I can. If you want to draw something related to the story, I'd really appreciate it, but hey, it's up to you! Thank you!  
Malisa: No worries on not reviewing! I understand! Thank you so much :)  
anon: Yep, RLS stands for Robert Louis Stevenson. I'm glad you liked the chapter :) Thank you!  
SweetAngel183: Rylee's back now! Yay! Thank you so much!  
The Mulberry: Okay, to sum up - thank you sooooo much for your many reviews! I'm glad you like the way I've written Tabitha, and that you're so involved in the story! Thank you!!!  
Kristy: Hey! No eating the chapters, please! XD Thanks for the review!  
A Dangerous Pastime: I wish I could! Me and my mom have actually been trying to figure out a way to rework it a bit so that I'm not infringing on any copyright material so that I actually could publish it. I'm not sure we can, but we're working on it! I'm glad you like it so much!**


	41. Nineteen

**Sorry about the wait. I know you've all been eagerly awaiting an update.**

**By popular demand, this chapter is quite fluffy :)**

**Kristy - there's something in this chapter for you! Hope you like it!**

**And yes, if you start to doubt it, this story does stay PG-13. Don't worry :)  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The departure from Lacuna was oddly bittersweet, for everyone.

After a very condensed version of the Reddend Fortune and Tabitha's family, the Darcy's were shocked to say the least. They exchanged addresses and information so that they could keep in better touch then they'd been able to in the past. William was there with, surprisingly enough to both Jim and Tabitha, Rachel on his arm. Jim wasn't sure if that relationship would ever work out, but he didn't comment on it. In fact, he even managed to put aside the past and shake William's hand, without breaking any of his fingers.

While Abigail and Commodore Aldamae had finished talking to the Darcy's, saying goodbyes and promising to stay in touch and hopefully see each other soon, the boys all said their goodbyes to their respective girlfriends. They made shallow promises that this wouldn't be the last time they saw each other, but it was clear that these romances would end the same way all summer romances did - with sweet memories and little hope of a future.

Landon and Isabelle, however, were a different story entirely. Tabitha had watched intensely as he pulled Isabelle away from her friends, out of hearing range. Tears were streaming down her face as she listened to Landon rush through an explanation of some kind. When he finished, she shook her head and said something back to him. Landon's entire posture fell with disappointment. From a distance it looked like she was apologizing. Landon reached up and cupped his hand over her cheek, wiping away her tears as he whispered one short sentence. Isabelle repeated it, and they embraced and kissed, holding each other as if they'd never see each other again, which definitely seemed like a possibility.

That had been almost two weeks ago. Since then, they'd been on the ship, enjoying the lightened mood and significantly cooler air of space compared to Lacuna's heated atmosphere, listening to Rylee retell how she escaped from her captors, and going through the few items Tabitha had brought with her from her home.

It wasn't much - a few pictures, some books, her mom's diaries, her father's jacket, and the locket and chest, of course - but it was all she really wanted of them. They'd flipped through the photo album first, reviewing her families history. The photo album itself was rather interesting - it was a lot like Sarah's locket, with 3-D, moving pictures. These photos were the same way. They'd watched her parents grow up, graduate, get married, have Tabitha, all in the matter of a few pages. Everyone had agreed that Tabitha really did look remarkably like her mother, except for her eyes. She had her father's eyes.

Once that was over, they discussed planning a trip to Melyo, but Jim had refused, saying that he needed a break, to which everyone had readily agreed. They were tired, and willing to just sit back and relax, for a while at least.

So that's where they were now. Everyone was completely at ease as they realized that they'd be home in just under two days. Well, almost everyone...

"Hey! Jim!"

Jim turned around and found Cason rushing towards him. Jim had the fleeting thought that this was the first time he'd seen him without Rylee since they'd left Lacuna. "What?"

"Come here for a second."

"What is it? I want to go to bed," Jim asked as he followed Cason out onto the deck. He pointed up to the crow's nest, where Landon was standing, solemnly staring out into space. Jim sighed. "Again?"

"Yeah," Cason said mournfully. Landon had clearly been trying really hard to suppress his feelings for Isabelle, but the farther they got from Lacuna, that sadder he looked and the more time he spent alone.

"That's it. We've got to fix this," Jim said.

"I know. That's why I came to get you," Cason replied as they climbed up into crow's nest. Landon either didn't hear them or didn't want to talk to them, because he didn't move at all until Cason spoke. "Uh, Landon?"

He turned around slowly. "Oh. Hey."

"Hey," Jim said warily. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh... yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just fine," he said, his repetition automatically negating his statement.

Jim and Cason eyed each other knowingly, then Jim turned back to Landon. "Look, Landon... we know you're upset because you had to leave Isabelle."

Landon's fake smile faltered as his shoulders sagged at the very mention of her name. "I didn't have a choice."

"You could have stayed with her," Cason suggested tentatively.

"What? Just ditch all of you, not to mention my family, and runaway with her?" Landon laughed skeptically.

"Well... yeah," Jim said. "I know normally you don't do crazy, drastic stuff like that, but in this case, maybe it wouldn't hurt to - "

"No, you guys," Landon interrupted. "I couldn't."

"Of course you could!" Cason argued. "You love her, right?"

Landon didn't say anything for a moment, then he sighed and looked down at his feet. "Yes."

"Then go back and get her!" Jim told him.

"No, you don't understand. I can't. I tried, and I can't," he said in despair.

"What do you mean you tried?"

Landon looked up, scratching his shoulder nervously. "I tried... I was going to..."

"Going to...?" Cason continued expectantly.

"Look, truth is, I... I-I want to marry her," Landon sputtered, much to the surprise of both Jim and Cason. "I know that's rushed and irrational, but it just feel's so... _right_. I can't explain it, but I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life." He sighed. "But her parents don't approve of me. Apparently, I'm not of the same social status as them, so they adamantly refused to even let me see her. We broke that rule, but there was no way we could get married without them knowing."

"So... did you actually ask her?" Jim inquired.

"No. I'd planned to, if there was some way we could stay together, but there just wasn't. She's only sixteen; she'd need a parents permission to get married or leave home, neither of which her parents were going to give. I... I did ask her to run away and come with me, but she's so young, and she wasn't ready to leave her family. Not that I blame her, of course..." Landon sighed and looked back up at them. "The point is we never would have worked out."

With that, he turned back around to stare out into space again. Cason and Jim looked at each other, then Cason shrugged sadly, completely at a loss as to what to do.

"It's late. We should probably go to bed," Jim stated.

"I'm really not tired."

"Okay, well... we're here," Cason began. "If you want to talk."

When Landon didn't respond, Cason started to climb back down the mast. Jim followed, but paused. "If you change your mind or anything, just steal one of the longboats and fly back."

Landon didn't even crack a smile.

* * *

Tabitha smiled as she observed Jim sleeping, his hair ruffled and clothes twisted around him, one arm hanging lazily off the bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed and he smiled dreamily, as if sensing she was there. Tabitha gently swept his bangs away from his eyes and kissed him.

Jim awoke as his senses ignited to the taste of coffee and he opened his eyes to find himself mid-kiss with Tabitha. She pulled back slowly and he blinked in surprise.

"Well, good morning to you too," he joked, his voice still scratchy from sleep.

Tabitha giggled and kissed him again. Jim slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her over him onto the bed. She burst into a fit of laughter but Jim silenced her when their lips met yet again. As they pulled away a final time, she simply smiled. "Happy birthday."

Jim blinked in shock. "What?"

"It's your birthday! You're 19."

"It is? June 27?!"

"June 27," she verified.

"Whoa... I-I had no idea," he laughed. "How did you remember?"

"I'm your girlfriend. It's my job to remember. Now - " she sat up and handed him a flat present wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a bit of string. "Open it."

Jim pushed himself up and took the gift. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"What are you talking about? Of course I did," she laughed. "Just open it. I know you want to."

Jim paused for a moment, then grinned and quickly ripped the paper off. He quietly gasped as he ran his hand over the red, leather bound book, stopping to trace the gold embossed letters - _Treasure Planet_.

"I know it's not one of the hologram copies like you had when you were a kid, but I thought it was still pretty close..." she explained

"No, i-it's great," Jim stammered, still stunned that he was holding in his hands the book that arguably changed his life. "Wh-where did you...?"

"It's mine, from when I was a kid. I picked it up at my house. I-I added a note on the first page..."

Jim flipped open the cover and stared at the very first page where a short note had been written:

"_Jim - I bet as a kid you never thought Treasure Planet would end up being a love story, huh? You simultaneously created the perfect ending for this story and the perfect beginning for our own. This is the story that inspired you to go out and find Treasure Planet. Without this, I never would have met you. I owe my life and everything I love in it to this story, and to you. Thank you for giving me the greatest adventure of all. I love you. - Yours Forever, Tabitha_"

Jim looked up when he'd finished reading it. "Tabitha, I... I don't know what to say..."

"So you do like it? I know the note's kind of cheesy..."

Jim laughed. "No, it's perfect. It's all perfect. I love it. I couldn't have asked for a better gift." He leaned over and kissed her. "I love you."

Tabitha laughed as he lay down on his stomach and began to turn the pages eagerly, staring in wonder and awe at the pictures, just as if he was a child again. While he was distracted with that, she pulled out her diary and began writing. She'd been writing a lot lately, summing up her adventures and all the loose ends of her life that she'd finally managed to tie together, and she was now down to the next to the last page of the diary. Today, though, she was writing about something different - the dream she'd had last night.

Tabitha had woken up sitting upright in bed, heart beating a mile a minute, and a smile stretched across her face. She'd been having happy dreams a lot lately, ones that revolved around happy memories from her childhood and things about her parents, brought on by the photo album she'd flipped through countless times, but that was not the reason she woke up happy this morning. No, she hadn't dreamed about her past, she'd dreamed about her future. More specifically, Jim proposing.

It had been perfect, and she was convinced that this was yet another vision that was predicting something that would be happening soon... like, today. Today was Jim's birthday, and she couldn't think of a better gift than your girlfriend agreeing to marry you. Jim had been tiptoeing around it forever now, not giving in to Tabitha's casual - and not so casual - hints that she knew he was going to. He continued to taunt her and make her wait, but she was sure that today must be the day. It was too perfect.

Just as she got to the bottom of the page and began to turn the last and continue writing, Jim sat back up and wrapped his arms around her waist again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied distractedly.

"What are you writing about today?"

"The dream I had last night."

"About?"

Tabitha closed the diary and faced him. "You, basically."

"Me?"

"What?" she asked.

"You dreamed about me?"

"Well you've dreamed about me, haven't you?" she laughed. "Don't be so surprised. It isn't the first time."

"Oh, really?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Stop that. If you start acting all smug, I won't tell you anything about it."

"Fine." He adopted a ridiculous, overly serious expression, which quickly changed back into a grin once she began to laugh. "Come on, tell me."

Tabitha bit her lip and smiled. "It was about you proposing to me."

Jim's eyes and mouth widened with shock. "Wha - i-it was? Really?"

"Yeah," she giggled. "It was cute how nervous you were."

Jim stayed frozen for a minute, then swallowed. "And, um... wh-what was your answer?"

"Well," Tabitha began slyly, easing closer to him. "I actually didn't see that part."

"You didn't?"

"Nope. So now I guess there's only one way for you to find out what I would have said..."

"Hmm," Jim said thoughtfully. "Well... sounds like a nice dream." With that, he stood up and began to get dressed.

Tabitha was aghast. "Jim!" Jim responded by whistling casually, as if he couldn't hear her. "Ugh!" She picked up the pillow and threw it at Jim.

"Hey!" He turned around and glared at her for a moment. Slowly, a mischievous smile slid across his face. "You're going to pay for that."

"Oh, am I?" she taunted.

Jim started back over towards her just as she tried to run away. He quickly grabbed her and began tickling her mercilessly.

"Jim!" Tabitha complained through her laughter.

"What?"

He let up a little and she managed to take a deep breath. "When are you - " He halted her by tickling her again, the paused. "Why won't you just - " Again, he tickled her. The alternating interrogating and tickling went on for a few minutes, until finally she gave up.

"You're... a pain in the ass... you know that?" she panted.

He laughed, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist. "So I've been told."

"Why are you making this so difficult?"

"Making what so difficult?"

"Jim..."

There was a long pause before he finally answered seriously, "Because I love you."

Tabitha wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but she was sure that it was the best answer he could have given.

**

* * *

**

"You guys, really - you didn't have to get me anything," Jim insisted as everyone (except Abigail, who was keeping watch out on deck) dragged him down to the long boat hatch while with Morph playing the part of blindfold.

"'Course we did, Jimbo!" Silver insisted.

"You may not want to say that before you actually see what it is," August suggested.

"What is it?"

"Kind of defeats the point of a present if we just tell you what it is, don't you think?" Commodore Aldamae chuckled.

Tabitha leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Trust me - you'll love it."

Jim smiled and shook his head.

"Okay, and.... stop," Rylee said.

"You ready?" August asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Jim laughed.

"Surprise!" Graham shouted as Morph transformed back into himself and gleefully repeated, "Surprise!"

"It's a new solar surfer!" Cason added. Jim's jaw dropped to his chest as Cason continued on his announcer voice. "That's right! Today you'll be flying home on the brand new, state of the art Sidus 3000, complete with all the best, top of the line features, including the fastest engine on the market today and the new and improved, virtually indestructible solar sails, for when you crash doing those tricks your mother always warned you not to do! Jim Hawkins, come on down!"

Jim paced slowly over to the surfer and skimmed his fingers over the golden-colored metal. "You... it... I... what..."

"Let us know when ya can put t'gether a sentence, lad," Silver chuckled.

"How did... how?"

"Close enough," Theodore laughed.

"It was kind of everyone's idea," August explained.

"But Graham was the one who figured out which one to get," Rylee added.

"H-how?" Jim repeated.

"How? How? How?" Morph copied, turning into a miniature of the now completely stunned Jim.

"I shared a room with three years at the academy. I learned everything there is to know about solar surfers whether I wanted to or not," Graham explained. "This was by far the best one."

"Y-yeah it is!" Jim agreed. "But how could you afford it?"

"We all chipped in," Landon shrugged.

"But... they're _really_ expensive! E-even if you all pitched in it would have cost a fortune!"

"It wasn't just us," Tabitha explained, gesturing to their friends. "Commodore Aldamae and Abigail pitched in too."

"Yeah, but... even between the t-ten of you it - "

"Jus' say thank ya," Silver interrupted.

"Th-thank you!" Jim finally managed to stammer, running his hands threw his hair. "Thank you so much! I... I just... whoa!" The crowd laughed while Jim fawned over the gift.

"Alrigh' ya can quit actin' so shocked now," Silver joked after several minutes of Jim still stuttering out his gratitude while he surveyed the gift from top to bottom. "Yer birthday ain't over yet. T'ere's more."

"More?!" Jim asked. "What more could there be?"

"Cake!" Morph squealed excitedly, morphing into a three-tiered cake, complete with candles.

"Yeah, I'm with Morph! Let's go get some cake!" Graham laughed.

Jim waited until their other friends had disappeared through the doorway to grab Tabitha's hand and pull her out of sight. "What is it?" she asked.

"You already got me a present," he stated.

Tabitha shrugged. "The other was free."

"Still..." he grinned. "You really didn't need to get me anything."

"Why? Were you already planning to ask me for something else?" she smirked.

"Yes."

Tabitha started at the fact that he'd actually admitted it. Before she could say anything else though, his lips were on hers and his hand was on the back of her head, puling her closer to deepen the kiss.

"Jim..." she breathed.

"Just wait," he smiled, pressing his forehead against hers. "Just wait."

* * *

That night, after a semi-extravagant dinner prepared by Silver, a delicious cake - not unlike the one that Morph had portrayed - that Abigail made, and several glasses of champagne, the galley was alive with the cheerful hum of several buzzed teenagers and the excitement over Jim's birthday and the fact that they would be home tomorrow.

Since the scenario that afternoon between Jim and Tabitha, neither of them had been able to take their eyes off the other for more than a minute. Even from across the room, amidst other conversations, they made eye contact, Tabitha silently, curiously questioning when he would do it and Jim assuring her that it would be soon, and well worth the wait.

Despite the calm, happy exterior, Jim was trapped in an endless debate inwardly. He fiddled with the box in his pocket, trying to decide how - part of him thought it would be good to do it in front of everyone, but another part wanted them to be alone, and another part of him wanted it to be special somehow, and yet another part kept reminding him of the advice Silver had given him so long ago - that Tabitha wouldn't care how he did it. Even if she wouldn't, he cared. He wanted it be perfect for her.

Jim didn't realize how distracted he'd been until he realized how fuzzy his thoughts were becoming, like tiny bugs were flitting around in his head to distract him. It was a pleasant feeling though, and he was only tipsy. Then suddenly, the more glances he exchanged with Tabitha, the more nervous he became about what he was planning to do, and he eventually realized he'd become more than just a little tipsy.

After that, Jim lost count of how much he'd actually had to drink.

When everyone departed for bed that night, his thoughts cloudy and that jittery feeling of nerves he'd had about proposing had turned into a full blown adrenaline rush, sparking different emotions in him and distracting him from the idea of proposing all together. That feeling only increased more when Tabitha grabbed his hand on the way back to their bedroom. When they'd finally reached the hallway where Jim knew they were alone, he couldn't wait.

"What are you - " Tabitha protested as Jim pushed her against the wall. She didn't have time to finish her question before Jim's lips were on hers, greedy and desirous. She returned it fervently, running her fingers through his hair and pulling him to her. Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped. Jim backed away, leaving Tabitha looking shell shocked and unsure of what would happen next. With a sly grin, Jim turned and walked to the washroom.

Once alone, Jim released a deep breath of air, blowing his bangs out of his face. He did his typical night routine, ending with splashing cold water on his face and neck. He gripped the edge of the counter and was shocked to see his entire body was literally trembling in anticipation of... something. And why was he suddenly sweating so much? One last splash of water and a deep breath later, Jim left, completely unsure of exactly what he was about to do.

Tabitha, now half undressed and wearing just her pants and camisole, turned around as Jim entered the room, waiting on him to do something, anything. Jim just stood staring. What was it about her that made her so hypnotizing all of a sudden? Her appearance hadn't changed at all, but there was something highly captivating about her now. Maybe it was the way her eyes glowed with curiosity, or the way she bit her lip teasingly while he continued to stare at her, or maybe it was the way she spoke his name, calling him out of his trance, that suddenly had Jim finding her completely irresistible.

"Jim..."

He couldn't hold back any longer. In three steps, he'd crossed the room and kissed her, hard, for the second time that night. She stumbled backwards into the table before she regained her senses and kissed him back. She sat down on the table and pulled Jim against her. He didn't hesitate to move on and slid his hand under her shirt, hastily trying to pull it off. She let him pull the shirt off, then did the same to him. They connected once again and Tabitha began to run her hands over the taut muscles of Jim's chest and abdomen. Tabitha was fine until she was caught off guard and felt her face heat up as Jim's fingers moved up her thigh, lightly brushing her lower abdomen as he tried to undo the clasp of her pants.

"Jim - "

"Shh..." He moved his mouth as close to hers as he could without them actually touching. "Don't talk," he ordered in a husky whisper that made Tabitha's entire body clench with excitement that was too wonderful to even try to resist.

Assuming Jim had a handle on the situation, as he always did, Tabitha stood up and let him remove them. She reached out and began to undo the buckle of his belt and was surprised to hear him groan against her lips in return. When they were both down to their only their undergarments, Jim slid his arms around Tabitha's waist and lightly tickled the small of her back. Tabitha involuntarily arched forward, pressing her body against his, just as he knew she would - it was a trick he'd learned long ago. That action got her thinking though and she looked up into his eyes, noticing how wide his pupils were, dilated with an emotion she recognized, but had never seen this strong before.

"What happened... to taking it easy?" she breathed heavily.

"I changed my mind," he answered without hesitation before lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her arms and legs around him securely and together they fell to the bed, intertwined with one another, never once breaking eye contact. He rolled on top of her and kissed her again while his hands caressed her body. As phenomenal as it felt, something about his last statement stood out in her mind as not right.

Tabitha was caught up in the strangest mixture of ecstasy and confusion. It felt so wonderful - his lips, his muscles, that rush that went through her whenever she felt his warm breath on her skin, the feeling of his rough hands skimming every inch of her body - but some part of her was telling her something wasn't right. This part was small, nearly drowned out by the part that was shouting for more and more, but it managed to speak up enough for Tabitha to hear.

"How... how drunk are you?" she suddenly asked.

"I'm sober enough to know what I'm doing," he said slyly as he moved his lips down to her neck, eliciting a gasp from her.

"J-Jim..." she stammered, now completely unsure of how to feel... though 'amorous' seemed to be winning, whether she wanted it to or not.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he smirked.

"Mm-hmm..." she whimpered.

Jim chuckled, and Tabitha could feel the vibrations echo through his chest to hers. She tried to mentally pull away from the unbearable niceness of everything he was doing just long enough to focus on what was coming next. Nearly every part of her being was telling her it didn't matter what it was, she should just give in, but Tabitha still had that voice, and it was trying desperately to point out that she needed to think this through. Jim was intoxicated, his actions were becoming more and more ravenous now, and Tabitha wasn't so sure he had any intention of stopping anytime soon. This had started off as an innocent enough make-out session that she believed would lead smoothly to his proposal, but now she realized that was not at all what Jim had on his mind.

Jim's lips suddenly strayed away from her neck, moving downward. Tabitha let out a sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan, her fingernails digging into his back. She was still a bit lost in the haze of emotion, but this had turned into something Tabitha hadn't been expecting at all.

"Please, Jim..."

"Please what?" he asked slyly as their lips collided passionately once again.

Good question. Tabitha had no idea what she was asking for. Her mind was telling her to calm down, but every inch of her body was screaming for her to keep going. She had wanted this for a long time - _God_, she wanted it even more now that she knew part of how fantastic it felt - but no matter how sober Jim claimed he was, Tabitha believed he needed to be fully cognizant when they made a choice as big as this. Under the circumstances, this was going to far... but she was still finding it near impossible to stop it.

"W-we shouldn't..." Tabitha couldn't find the words in her head. Nothing made sense. She was swept up in a pleasurable dizziness. In the past, if anything like this ever exceeded their previous limits, it was Jim who would stop; it was a rare occasion when Tabitha had to stop him, and never had it been this hard, in any sense of the word. Now the tables were turned completely and Tabitha found herself having to coerce herself into speaking up on behalf of both of them.

Jim was always the one who was extremely considerate about everything physical between them, but tonight, his every move seemed anxious and insatiable, completely opposite from his usual fervent yet timid moves. This was a brand new feeling for Tabitha - pleasure tinged with guilt. She was sure it was the same way Jim had felt all those times when he'd stopped them, visually straining to resist moving on any further. She recognized how difficult it must have been on his self-control - it was certainly testing the limits of hers. Seeing it from the other side had her loving and respecting Jim even more, if it were possible.

Tabitha froze in shock when Jim suddenly pushed past the boundaries of undergarments, working to increase the amount of exposed skin between them. The touch made her gasp loudly again, but not for the same reasons as before. She had to stop it before they crossed a line. Tabitha could feel her face burning from both desire and embarrassment. "Jim, I don't..."

"You don't what?" he smiled, lowering his lips to hers again. Whereas sober Jim would have been able to figure out the end of that sentence by listening to tone, intoxicated Jim was oblivious to what she was getting at - even more proof that now was not the time for them to be moving their relationship any farther.

Before she could get lost in that fog of emotions again, she pushed a hand against his bare chest, pulling her lips away. "I don't want to do this."

Jim froze, holding himself up on his hands, one on either side of Tabitha, then let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, hanging his head down. "Are you sure?"

Jim definitely wasn't himself tonight - he always made sure that Tabitha was okay _with_ doing something, not if she was okay with _not_ doing something. "Y-yes. I mean, I-I do want to, but I-I don't think right now's a-a good time..."

Jim looked back up, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine. Give me a minute."

He slowly laid down against Tabitha, pressing his face into her hair and breathing in deeply to calm himself. Tabitha could feel his heart pounding erratically in his chest, just as her own was. She was clueless as to what to do now. Jim had stopped, but he'd sounded put off by the idea. He didn't really mind, did he? It was the alcohol... right? Jim had never been adverse to stopping if ever Tabitha became uncomfortable in any situation... Maybe she should have stopped it sooner, before he'd gotten his hopes up...

Jim groaned and shifted off of her. "G-goodnight," she mumbled, not entirely sure of what else to say.

He never responded.

* * *

Jim was awakened by what he was confident must be the worst headache in the history of time. His slowly opened his eyes, trying to focus on his surroundings. The light in the room pierced into his head, making the awful headache he already had pound even harder. Next came the horrible feeling of nausea that swept through his stomach and throat. Moaning, he clenched his eyes shut and tried to take deep breaths. It really wasn't helping, but already he could feel his head swimming with the need to fall back asleep. He was on the verge of giving into it when a soft noise caught his attention - a soft, _feminine_ noise, coming from beside him.

In that semi-delusional state that comes with just waking up with a hangover, he prayed it was Tabitha beside him before his mind quickly assured him that of course it was. He turned as quickly as he could to look, but immediately regretted moving his head so much as his entire brain seemed to rattle within. He regretted it even more when Tabitha let out another sweet sigh and rolled over, causing the bed to shift. Jim moaned sickly as his nausea increased as well.

Tabitha's eyes fluttered open at the noise. "Jim?"

"Ugh..." he groaned.

He winced as she shifted off the bed, disappearing to the other side of the room for a moment. "Here," she said as she sat back down, handing over something that resembled blades of grass.

"What is that?" he asked nervously.

"Aglettian roots. They're a perfect cure for hangovers as well as fainting."

Jim popped them into his mouth, amazed to find that they dissolved almost instantly, leaving behind a sugary taste. "So... this is what hungover feels like, huh?"

"Apparently..." she said, warily observing him. "Are you alright?"

"I've been better."

"How much did you drink?"

Jim thought backwards, trying to count how many times he'd refilled his glass. He lost track at around 6. "Way too much..."

Tabitha frowned and averted her eyes. "Are you mad at me?"

Jim rubbed his eyes. "I don't think so... Why would I be?"

"You don't remember what happened last night?"

Jim did a double take of Tabitha, finally recognizing that she Tabitha was in only her underwear... and he was in only his boxers. Jim panicked; where were their clothes? And what the hell had happened the night before? Yes, they'd seen each other like this before, even slept together like this before, but Jim would be much more comfortable if he could remember how it was they got like this...

Tabitha noticed Jim staring at the fact she had only her underwear on and shyly crossed an arm over herself.

"What...?"

She blushed and pulled the sheet up to her neck for comfort. "You really don't remember?"

"I... remember eating cake in the galley... ugh, and drinking a lot... and..." A pang of guilt swept through Jim. No, he couldn't remember. Couldn't remember _what_, though?

"Okay, good. I guess I'm glad it was just because you were drunk," she sighed.

"Glad _what_ was just because I was drunk?" Jim asked tentatively.

"Well... I mean, you... you were just really enthusiastic, I guess."

Jim blushed and gulped nervously. "What do you mean? What did I do?"

Tabitha's face flushed again, a sign Jim knew immediately wasn't good - she always blushed when she was uncomfortable with something. "Um... do you want details?"

"I don't know. Do I?" he asked regretfully. "I really can't remember anything that happened after dinner."

"I'll just sum up..." she muttered. "You started kissing me and, um, it was okay at first, but then..." Her face reddened as she tucked the sheet under her arms and began twisting her hair bashfully. "I-I wasn't really sure what I wanted, but you were pretty insistent... I finally just, you know, told you I didn't want to..."

"Didn't want to what? How... how far was I trying to make you go?"

"A-as far as you could, I guess..."

"Damn it," Jim cursed under his breath before propping himself up on his elbow to face her. "Tabitha, I am so sorry. I-I never should have put you in a situation like that. I shouldn't - " he sighed angrily and fell heavily back onto the bed. "I'm sorry. I can't _believe_ I did that to you, and after that whole conversation we had about taking it easy..."

"Yeah, you said you'd changed your mind about that..." Jim scoffed at himself and Tabitha felt bad that she'd mentioned it. "It's o - "

"No, it's not okay! It isn't okay for me to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do."

"You didn't," she insisted. "I did want to. I... I was enjoying it, but I didn't want to lead you on too much. I just wanted to make sure it didn't go any farther than - "

"You shouldn't have had to make sure," he explained. "That's supposed to be my job. It's my responsibility to look out for your well being and protect you, not put you in danger of being hurt somehow. Even if you were leading me on, which I doubt because you said yourself that you weren't sure what you wanted, I should be in control. Ugh!" He grasped his hair at the roots in frustration, then sighed, lowering his voice. "I'm so sorry, Tabitha. That's not at _all_ how I meant for things to go last night. I guess my nerves just... got to me, and I ended up drinking too much. I'm sorry."

Tabitha was shocked at how guilty he felt. She hadn't been trying to accuse him, she was just trying to remind him what happened. "Jim, I'm not mad."

"Fine. I'm mad enough at myself for the both of us."

"Don't be," she consoled, moving his hands away from his face. "I'm really not upset. I know you wouldn't force me to do something I wasn't ready for."

"But I tried to!"

"No. No, you didn't. Everything was exactly the same as usual, minus that hesitant factor you usually have, the one that makes you make sure I'm okay with what's going on."

"Well, that's an important factor to have!" Jim countered. "I shouldn't have just gone into it assuming that you would stop me if you were uncomfortable." He gasped. "Oh my God," he mumbled to himself. The roots had kicked in, gradually minimizing the blur of the images from last night until he had a crystal clear memory of everything - every move he'd made, every emotion that had coursed through him... and every comment Tabitha had made that suggested she wasn't okay with the situation. "I... I remember now. You said... and I was trying to... Ugh, I can't believe I made you - "

"You didn't make me do anything. If I'd been uncomfortable sooner, then I would have stopped you sooner. Like I said, I just wanted to make sure it didn't go too far."

"And like _I_ said, you shouldn't have had to - "

"Stop blaming yourself," she commanded. Jim rolled his eyes, still disappointed in his own actions. She kissed his cheek. "Jim, listen... from the very beginning, you've been wonderful about this sort of thing. We were both new to all of this, and I know how hard you've tried to take it slow because of that. You're always a complete gentleman, about everything. Even last night, I told you to stop, you asked if I was sure - "

"I asked if you were sure you wanted to _stop_?!"

"That's not my point! Yes, you did, and when I said I was, you did immediately. You've been perfect at this since we started dating, and you can't exactly ruin all of that effort in one night."

He turned back to her, still looking wounded. "How can you not be mad at me?"

"Because it wasn't that bad! It was just a mistake. You were drunk. I'm not saying I want it to ever happen again, but I'm not mad because you were lusting after your girlfriend," she smiled.

"You could be mad because your boyfriend tried to pressure you into having sex with him," he countered.

Tabitha blushed at the very mention of it as she lay back down beside him. "Yeah, I could... but I'm not."

Jim sighed gratefully and rolled over to hug her. "Thank you. I _promise_ I'll never do anything like that ever again." He cupped his hand over her cheek and met her gaze, his eyes still apologetic. "You know I'm not trying to rush you, right?"

"Yes, I know."

"Because I want us to both be 110% sure before we make a decision like that."

"I know."

"And I know I might have seemed really into it last night, but I'm not entirely sure I'm ready to either."

"Hey, I didn't say I wasn't ready..."

Jim arched an eyebrow. "But you... yes you did! "

"Nope. The reason I stopped last night was because you were drunk and I didn't think it would be fair to take advantage of you," she taunted.

Jim gaped at her for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and smirked. "You're joking. You have to be... I hope you're joking. You are, aren't you? Because if not, getting drunk last night now ranks as my biggest regret of my life."

"I am," Tabitha laughed hysterically. "Jim, I know that you aren't trying to push me, and that neither of us are completely ready. We'll know when we are and we'll figure it out then. We don't have to set a date ahead of time for the first time we have sex."

Jim's face flushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, okay. I-I just like to make sure we're on the same page."

"I know that, too," Tabitha smiled."So... aside from that, did you have a good birthday?"

"Aside from that, I had an amazing birthday. Thanks to you," he smiled

"Did you get everything you wanted?"

Jim hesitated. "No."

"What else did you want?" Tabitha grinned.

"I plead the fifth."

She slammed her hands down against the covers. "Jim, why are you - "

"Would you keep it down? I've still got a headache."

"Liar. I know from first-hand experience how quickly those roots work, but fine," she said, crossing her arms. "You're hopeless, and I give up."

"You know, patience is a virtue," Jim taunted.

Tabitha narrowed her eyes, fighting the urge to smile. "Don't make me hit you."

Jim laughed as he kissed her forehead and started to lay back down, but was stopped when Tabitha grabbed his shoulder.

"And by the way..." She pulled herself up and kissed him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Well... last night, I was the one who had to stop it when things started going to far. I've never had to say anything when it was that intense before... It's hard."

"Yeah, tell me about it..."

Tabitha laughed. "So I just wanted to say thank you, for being so considerate, I guess. It took all my effort to say 'no' once - I couldn't put myself through that as much as you do."

"Believe me, it's well worth it," Jim smiled.

Just as they leaned toward one another for another kiss, the door to their bedroom flew open. They both yelped, pulling the sheets up around them as they gaped at Rylee.

"You both need to get up here now," she panted.

"Why?" Tabitha asked.

Morph showed up, transforming into the image of one of the robocops that had once been so familiar with Jim. "Great..." he sighed.

"Yeah, it's not good. Hurry!" Rylee explained hastily before slamming the door shut and rushing off with Morph once again.

"The police are here?" Tabitha questioned as they both jumped out of bed and began throwing on clothes. "What do they want with us?"

"Hell if I know. We just - " Jim paused then smacked his forehead. "Damn."

"What?" Tabitha asked as she pulled her boots on.

"Remember that warrant Captain Amelia put out for our ship?"

"Yeah."

"Guess who just showed back up driving a stolen ship."

Tabitha's jaw dropped. "Oh, no..."

They hurried out onto deck and gasped at what they saw. Commodore Aldamae was already in handcuffs, with two cops flanking his sides. "I didn't say I stole their ship! If you would just let me - "

"Hey!" Jim interrupted, stepping forward in his authoritarian role. "What's the problem here?"

"Are you the captain of this vessel?" one of the officers asked.

"Yeah, I am, and if you don't mind would you please release my fellow officer?" Jim snapped.

They ignored his request and instead began to scan Jim's face much like Silver had done with his cyborg eye. Jim just sighed impatiently as if he'd done this a thousand times... which he may have.

"James Pleiades Hawkins," the second cop read out. "Violation of probation, repeated violations of Statue 15-C, Moving Viola - "

"Yeah, yeah, that's me. Could you just get on with it?"

The officer narrowed his eyes, but didn't argue. "This vessel was reported stolen by a Captain Amelia Doppler."

"Yeah, she's a friend of the family. It was stolen, but we've got it back now. Everything's under control, thanks," Jim rushed through, trying to get them to leave before the convict currently traveling with them decided to make an appearance.

"Why had you not reported that the vessel was no longer missing?" the first asked, jabbing a finger in Jim's face.

"We've been gone," Tabitha explained as she two stepped forward, Morph cowering behind her shoulder in fear of the two large robots. "We just got back from - "

The second officer performed the same scan on her. "No file found. Name?"

"T-Tabitha..." she stammered, intimidated. "Tabitha Alexander."

"Look, she hasn't done anything wrong, I haven't done anything wrong, and he hasn't done anything wrong - " Jim explained, gesturing to the commodore. "We'll report that we got the ship back as soon as we dock at Crescentia, and we'll bring all the paperwork to prove it."

The officers looked at each other, then back at Jim, then finally relented and released Commodore Aldamae. He rubbed his wrists, staring up at the officers bitterly.

"Sorry for the delay in reaching your destination," the first said.

"Take care now," the second added.

"Let's motor." The two cops turned to leave and board their hovercrafts again when -

"Jimbo?" Silver asked as he showed up on deck with Abigail. "What's goin' - Oh," he ended lamely as he spotted the officers, knowing full well there was nothing he could do now.

Jim uttered a colorful bit of profanity under his breath and rubbed the bridge of his nose as the officer scanned Silver and began reading off his charges the way they'd done Jim's.

"Were you aware that you were harboring a pirate?" the first officer questioned Jim.

Jim gritted his teeth, not okay with throwing Silver to the wolves. "Yeah, I was, only he's not a pirate anymore."

They, of course, ignored this. "Captain Hawkins and crew of this unnamed vessel - you are all under arrest for harboring and conspiring with a known, wanted pirate," the first ordered while the second phoned for backup.

"What?!" Commodore Aldamae blurted out as he was put back in cuffs. "How do you get 'conspiring with'?"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Tabitha shouted, jerking out of the officers grasp. "There is no way in hell I'm going to let you drag me to jail for - "

"Shut it, missy, or you can add 'resisting arrest' to your charges as well."

"Oh, sure, _now_ the cops show up," Cason rolled his eyes as he too was put into custody. "After we spent weeks trying to find a pirate fortune, rescue a girl who's been kidnapped, and killing - "

"Would you shut the hell up?!" Graham urged, elbowing his because he couldn't punch him with his wrists bound.

"Yeah, unlike you, I'm not a minor, and if you don't mind, I'd rather not spend the rest of my life in prison," Landon snapped.

"Sorry, Tabby," Silver said apologetically. "Didn't mean t' get ya all in trouble."

"We'll be fine," she explained. "Most of us are minors with no previous infractions - they'll just take us to the inn. I'm worried about you and Jim. H-he's a legal adult now, and this is not even remotely the first time he's had a run in with the law, and you're, w-well... an ex-pirate."

Silver frowned, but could think of nothing encouraging to say, so Abigail spoke up. "We'll get it all straightened out, I'm sure. Everything will be fine, dear."

Tabitha chewed on her bottom lip anxiously, feeling little hope from Abigail's attempt at reassurance. She looked over the faces of her friends then turned to Jim. He'd already been staring at her just waiting for her to turn around. He didn't look remotely confident about their current situation. The backup had arrived and the crew was being separated into two categories - those who would be escorted to the Benbow, and those who would be escorted to jail.

"I love you," Jim said, his voice low and humorless.

"I-I love you, too," she replied quietly, shocked by his lack of reassuring statements, or even a simple smile.

His lips barely had time to brush hers before they were pulled apart, set to go their separate directions.

* * *

**So who had completely forgotten about that warrant?**

**Things to know: The age that which you become an adult in my story is 19, if any of you were confused about that. Also, that whole scene between Jim and Tabitha was one I'd already had written for a completely different purpose, but then Kristy suggested it, so I though, eh, what the heck? and added it in. And you all said you wanted some fluff, so I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Okay, wait don't hit me! Let me explain! I know that you're all waiting for the proposal and... well, now I'm just teasing you. Anyways, it will be in the next chapter. You know why?**

**Because the next chapter's the last chapter! :'(**

**And guess what? There are STILL surprises to come :)**

**Thank you so much for your constant support everyone! I appreciate it SO much! Don't let me lose you now!**  
**-Emily**

**+Responses to Reviews+**

**anon: Haha I hope that was a good 'whoa'. Thank you :)  
NeverTooLate03: Yeah, Holy Drama Llama... I'll explain that via pm. lol. Aw, you constantly flatter me! I'm glad you liked the part with Morph, and thanks for not throwing anything at me... yet.  
SweetAngel183: He will :D Thanks for the review!****  
The Mulberry: Uh, yeah, that's why he died of course. He was a bastard - he got what was coming to him. Karma. Thanks for the review :)  
23jk: Haha I know. I just had to give Rylee a little bit of bad-assery. Your wait is almost over! Thank you!****  
Horseygirl 96: Haha Thanks! I just couldn't see them taking home an actual fortune and suddenly becoming rich and famous. It just didn't suit them. Thank you!  
****ADangerousPastime: Yeah, I think you're right. I got really over eager with that last chapter. I think that's the quickest chapter I've ever written and I was super excited about posting it; I should have added a bit more. Ah, well, glad you liked it though. Did you like the fluff? :D Thank you!  
****Kristy: Thanks for the idea! Like I said, I'd planned to use that scene elsewhere, but I kind of like it here. I hope you did to :) Thanks!  
A Pirate Girl: Thank you! There you go - some L-O-V-E, with more on the way :D  
**


	42. Beyond Perfection

**Last chapter! *sigh* So bittersweet...**

**I want to thank all of my wonderful readers and reviewers. You guys are simply beyond amazing and I can honestly never thank you enough!**

** I cannot believe I'll be changing the status of this story to completed...  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**--Tabitha's POV--**

I'd temporarily stolen Jim's hideout spot on the roof. From here, I'd been able to hear bits and pieces of the various conversations between kids and parents drifting out of the bedroom windows. It was always the same - a long, drawn out, confusing explanation, followed by a thousand questions. The reactions were what varied - Theodore and August's parents had probably been the most shocked, that their two studious boys had been involved in such an adventure; Rylee's dad had been the most accepting of the voyage itself, though not so much of 'this Cason boy'; Graham's mom was relieved and spent most of her time hugging Graham and saying things like 'my baby!'; Cason's parents had taken the 'I don't want to know' stance, and requested being filled in on as little as possible, so he'd given them a very shallow run through of everything... a run through that did include Rylee, and his parents were thrilled that their rebellious son had actually found a girl he loved that could stand him in return.

The most interesting discussion had been between Landon and his parents though. Landon's parents were by far the most reserved of the bunch, and Landon had somehow managed to explain the entire trip without making any of it sound dangerous. If I had to guess, I'd say he's spent the entire return trip writing out the dialogue to make it as easy as possible. No one in that room raised their voice until the Isabelle was brought up. Landon had literally begged for them to let him return to Lacuna, but they were less than thrilled with the idea. There was still the issue that her parents didn't accept him, and they weren't entirely sure that this was love. After all, Landon was the most level headed of all of us - this new, completely infatuated behavior was just odd for him. After his father had adamantly told him there was no way he would be returning, and he'd pleaded and begged and explained how he felt until he was on the brink of tears, his mother had finally stepped in and said they'd discuss it.

Now everyone was asleep, each family in their own bedroom. That didn't mean that the night was anywhere near over though. Commodore Aldamae had left about an hour ago to meet Amelia at the jail to plead Jim and Silver's case. The fact that the commodore was going with her gave me a small amount of hope that Silver and Jim would be home soon. I was so worried. Pirating, of course, was no small deal, and the punishments were harsh, and harboring a pirate wasn't much better, especially when you openly admit to it like Jim had. I didn't know what it was going to take to get the rules to bend, but stars above, I hoped they could do it.

In the meantime, all I could do was sit back and wait for them to return. I debated on whether I wanted to stay out here in the chilly night air or go back inside and huddle up under the warm quilt of my bed - out here, I would know the second Jim arrived home - if and when he did - and inside, under the covers, I was sure to fall asleep, and I couldn't do that. If Jim cared enough to stay awake the entire time I was sick, I could at least skip one night of sleep to find out what his fate would be.

I sighed and leaned back against the chimney, rubbing my hands together to warm them. Then, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. At first, I thought I'd just hallucinated it when I tried to adjust to the darkness of the road leading up to the Benbow. It looked like there was nothing, then there it was again - just a small bit of movement, as if a piece of the blackness around me had broken off and decided to go for a walk. That's when I realized the 'it' was a person, a person in a black traveling cloak headed towards the inn.

It was beyond me why a visitor would show up at this early hour of the morning, but it wasn't the first time it had happened. I climbed back in through my open window and rushed downstairs.

"What's the hurry?"

The sound of Rylee's voice nearly gave me a heart attack when I reached the ground floor of the Benbow. I jumped around and found her and Cason curled up together on the couch. For half a second, I wished Jim was here, so that we could be that close as well, then I spent the other half a second scolding myself. _Calm down. You can live without him for a few hours._ But that's what worried me... What if it wasn't just a few hours? What if it was much longer?

"Someone's at the door," I answered, just as there was a very light knock on the door, one I might not have even heard if I hadn't been listening for it. I walked the rest of the way to the door and opened it. Before I could even greet the stranger, they had thrown their arms around me.

"Tabitha! Oh, thank goodness it's you!"

"Wha... _Isabelle_?" I questioned in shock. Sure enough, she pulled down the hood of her cloak, and it was her.

"Whoa..." Rylee said in awe from somewhere behind me.

"I... Wh-what are you doing here?" I asked, hugging her back as she still had not let go of me.

Isabelle released me and I realized she was crying. "Oh, Tabitha, I-I don't know. I-I'm so confused. Landon asked me to come with him, a-and I told him I couldn't, even though I wanted to, but I d-didn't want to disappoint my parents, b-but then I stayed up all night th-thinking about it and r-r-realized that I'd made a hu-huge mistake, so I-I came here. I kept thinking I was doing the wrong th-thing, a-and that I should just go back, b-but I couldn't, I had to... I had to come see him, a-and then I got here and I w-w-wasn't even sure if I was a-at the right place, o-or if he would be h-here a-and - "

"Shh, Isabelle, calm down!" I consoled the hysterical girl. "It's okay. You're in the right place, obviously, and Landon - "

"What is it,?" Landon yawned as he stumbled down the steps, apparently having just been retrieved by Cason. "What is so important that it can't wait 'till - "

He stopped, frozen in his tracks by the very sight of her. Isabelle tensed as well, her mouth open slightly staring at him as if terrified of what his reaction might be.

"Isabelle?" he whispered.

"L-landon... I - "

But she didn't have time to finish, or even begin, her explanation. He raced towards her and, placing his hands on either side of her face, pulled her into a kiss he thought he'd never share. As touching as it was, I almost snickered at the whole thing; they both look so flustered - Isabelle with her windblown hair and tear-streaked face and Landon with his hair mussed in only an undershirt and pajama pants. It was really - for lack of a better word - adorable.

"What - what are you doing here?" he asked animatedly, running his fingers through her hair.

"I made a huge mistake. I should have just come with you. I'm sorry I - "

"Landon?"

We all turned at the harsh sound of Landon's father's voice. He was standing on the stairs, dressed similarly to his son, with Landon's mother standing slightly behind him, wrapped in a bathrobe.

"Dad..." he began, unsure of what to say. "This is Isabelle."

"I figured as much, seeing the way you just kissed her," he said bluntly, making the couple blush a bright pink, something wholly uncharacteristic for Landon. "Would she care to explain why she's here?"

Landon opened his mouth, but couldn't think of what to say. He looked back to Isabelle, then back to his parents -

I cleared my throat. "Um... I'm just going to go hang out in the kitchen now..."

"Yeah, and, uh, we're... we're going to go to bed..." Rylee added, puling Cason towards the stairs.

The last thing I saw of the group was Landon sliding an arm around Isabelle's waist to pull her closer while Landon's mother kept one hand clasped over her mouth in shock. His father was just beginning with, "Stars above, Landon, what do you think - " when the door to the kitchen shut behind me.

Mrs. Hawkins and Abigail both jumped from their spots at the kitchen table. "Oh, Tabitha! You startled me," Mrs. Hawkins began.

"Sorry..." I mumbled.

Abigail looked me over, concern etched all over her features. "How are you feeling?" I shrugged. "What's the matter?"

"I'm worried about them..." I said quietly. "Not so much about Jim, but about Silver."

I was worried about Jim - very worried, in fact - but Silver's fate still worried me more. I was certain that Jim could get out with a minor charge, like probation, or house arrest, but Silver... Silver was a pirate. Silver had always been a pirate. Silver had committed numerous crimes, most of which I didn't know or care to find out. He was a wanted man, and he'd finally been caught. It just didn't bode well. It would take a miracle for Silver to even make it out of this mess alive.

Abigail walked over to me slowly and looked down into my eyes. At first, I didn't understand, but then I realized. Tears welled up in my eyes as I wrapped my arms around her. She didn't start, or stumble back, she just wrapped her arms around me and rubbed my back comfortingly, and I once again reached the conclusion that she would be the perfect mother.

"It's going to be okay," Mrs. Hawkins said as she approached both of us. "Amelia and Anthony are at the spaceport to try to work something out now."

I pulled away from Abigail and nodded. "S-sorry..." I muttered, wiping at my eyes.

"Don't apologize, dear," Abigail comforted me. "We're all worried."

Mrs. Hawkins sighed. "Why don't you get some sleep, Tabitha?"

"No. I couldn't even if I wanted to," I explained. "I'm too anxious."

"It won't hurt to try. You're still recovering from being sick and injured. Don't wear yourself out," Abigail told me.

I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be able to convince the two mothers otherwise. "Fine..."

I retired from the kitchen, but didn't go to bed. From the den, I could still here Isabelle, Landon, and his parents talking in the dining room. Deciding it was best not to interrupt, I wrapped myself in a quilt and curled up on one of the window seats so I could watch the path leading up to the Benbow. I would know the instant they returned...

That is, when, and if, they returned.

* * *

**--Jim's POV--**

It was just me and Silver left in the holding cell. Of course, we were the only ones who'd done anything 'wrong'. Silver was a pirate, and I was the captain harboring him. Everyone else had simply fallen into the category of bystanders and had been released early on with nothing more than a warning. I guess not getting in trouble with the police was good news, but I couldn't imagine what there parents were going to do.

I felt horrible - I couldn't imagine how those conversations were going to go over. Not to mention it would be even harder for everyone to convince them of their innocence with the fact that their captain was still in jail with a pirate. This was the last thing any of us needed right now.

I'd called my mom and told her to contact Captain Amelia - not at all what I'd wanted to say, but I'd had a time limit, and I knew the apology/explanation I wanted to give her was going to take much longer than that. I just prayed she wasn't too disappointed. _Who am I kidding? She never wanted me to go on this trip in the first place, and now I'm in jail. I let her down... again._

And then there was Tabitha. Things had finally gotten back to normal between the two of us, and now this. And damn it to hell, I still hadn't proposed. I'd been having fun teasing her, leading her on, while in actuality I was still waiting for the perfect time. Had I had plenty of chances? Yes, but none of them had seemed just right... I didn't know why. It seemed like no matter when I did it, as long as she said yes, it would be perfect... but something kept making me hesitate, wait for the moment to be completely flawless.

Who knows when that so called perfect moment would arise? I was stuck in jail for Heaven knows how long. Even if my mom had contacted Amelia, I really had no reason to expect she'd come and speak up on behalf of either of us. I hoped that maybe the commodore could help, but he was only man, and I had no idea if he had any influence on this planet like Amelia did. Amelia was prestigious, well-known - she could certainly pull some strings... if she wanted to.

"Whatcha t'inkin' 'bout?" Silver suddenly questioned.

I'd had my head leaned against the cold bars of the cell, trying to ease the pounding headache leftover from my hangover and the events of the day, but I sat up and turned to look at him now. "Everything."

"Ya aren't blamin' t'is all on yerself again, are ya now?"

I laughed lightly. "Not _all _of it."

"Well, good. It weren't yet fault, ya know. If anyt'ing it was me own - "

"No, Silver, don't - " I sighed heavily. "I really don't want to play the 'who's at fault' game. Can we just call it even?"

He grinned. "Good t'inkin', lad."

Silence fell between us once again. The cell was freezing and I pulled my coat tighter around me in a failed effort to keep warm. I closed my eyes, but knew I wasn't be getting any sleep tonight.

"Jimbo?" I grunted in response. "I've been meanin' t' ask ya some t'ings... 'bout Tabby..."

I opened one eye, then the other, spotting how nervous Silver had suddenly become. "Uh... okay."

"Well... I was t'inkin'..." He seemed to be looking anywhere but directly at me. "Since t'e lass don't have her parents, o' course, and now t'at bastard of a godfather o' hers is gone as well... Well, I was t'inkin' I might... "

I raised my eyebrows. "Might what?"

"I was thinkin' I might ask if I could adopt 'er."

I sat up straighter, gawking at him from across our small cell. "Is that why you told the commodore that she was your daughter?"

He blinked. "I never said tha'."

"Well... he thought she was. If people are assuming it anyway, you might as well."

"But do ya t'ink she'd - "

"She'd love it!" I jumped in before he even finished the question.

"Even after all that's 'appened, 'bout her parents an all? Besides, she's fixin' t' be an adult now - "

"No, you should! Really!" I encouraged. "She already sees you like a father, you know, and it's not like parents stop being your parents when you become an adult."

"No, guess yer right," he chuckled.

"What about Abigail?"

"What about 'er?"

"What does she think about this?"

"Hadn't actually mentioned it t' 'er yet..." he bristled.

"Well don't you think you should? I mean, if you're married to her, then that would make her Tabitha's mother, and - "

"What t'e devil ya talkin' 'bout, lad?" he said defensively. "I ain't married t' Abby."

"Not yet you aren't," I laughed. Silver shifted nervously. "Oh, come on! You're going to propose!"

Silver chuckled. "Everyone keeps sayin' t'at about you as well, but I 'adn't seen a ring on Tabby's finger yet."

"Yeah, well - " I could feel my face heating up even in the icy room. "That's different."

"Don't see 'how!"

"You've been waiting - what? Twenty years?. I only made the decision a few months ago."

"Ya still made t'e decision, lad. It ain't like yer gonna back out now. Besides, if its been t'at long, maybe I ain't - "

"I'd bet the Benbow you've got a ring in your pocket right now," I challenged.

He stopped and looked me over skeptically. I laughed and pulled the signature box from my own pocket. Silver laughed heartily, reached deep into his inner coat pocket, and did the same. "Trade ya?"

We tossed the boxes across to one another, each observing the others choice. Silver's was simple, classic - gold band with a diamond. "Cool."

Silver chuckled a little, then opened the box. His face shifted from one of amusement to one of outright shock. "Stars above, Jimbo! Ya better hope she says yes wit' how much ya must 'ave invested in t'is t'ing!"

In an instant, I was on my feet, jerking the box back away from him. "I-it wasn't that much."

"I ain't daft, Jimbo! How'd ya afford somethin' like t'is?"

I turned scarlet. "I-I saved up."

"For 'ow long?" he questioned.

"For..." _Way longer than was necessary..._ which was part of the reason the ring was so extravagant. The whole time I'd been debating whether I was ready to propose, I'd been saving up, so by the time I'd finally decided, I'd had more that enough to get a typical ring, so I didn't get a typical ring. Tabitha wouldn't want a typical ring anyway. _She's anything but typical._ "For a while, okay? What does it matter?"

"No need t' get defensive. I's just askin'," he smirked.

I watched as he continued to survey it, holding it up in what little light was trickling down from upstairs. His brow furrowed and he seemed to be debating what to say... "Oh, God," I groaned. "It's too much, isn't it? She's not going to like it. It's not right. I thought it was, but it wasn't. How could I - "

"James Hawkins," he interrupted. "Ya worry too damned much. It ain't too much, an' she's gonna love it cause she loves you." He put the ring back in the box and chuckled. "Here, now, go get some sleep. I gotta feelin' we're gonna be here 'till mornin'..."I resisted the urge to add the words 'at least' to his statement. As I handed him his ring and sat back down, he shook his head, laughing under his breath. "Yer just like me, Jimbo."

"Heaven help me if that's true," I joked, but then stopped abruptly as I considered something. "Wait..."

"What is it, lad?"

I opened my mouth to say something, then sighed again. "Can I ask for a favor?"

"O' course ya can, lad."

I scratched my neck nervously. _How can I say this without sounding completely - _

"If yer gonna ask me to wait 'til after you propose to her, I was already gonna."

_Well, that was easy._ "You were?"

"Well, I don't wanna steal t'e spotlight from ya too much. Besides, t'at gives me time to talk to Abby 'bout it - "

"Assuming you've actually asked her to marry you by then."

"I bet I propose to Abby 'efore ya get up the courage t' propose to Tabitha.".

My jaw dropped at the proposition. This was clearly a scheme to get me to hurry up... but I couldn't blame him. Hell, I was impatient with myself. I couldn't imagine how Tabitha felt. He crossed his arms, waiting for me to respond. _I've never turned down a challenge, and I'm not about to start now._

"You're on."

Our laughter stopped abruptly to the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs to our cell. I stood up and rushed to the bars, wondering who it was, and what are fate would be...

* * *

Tabitha woke up suddenly. She glanced out the window, trying to tell what time it was, but it was impossible with the infamous, dark, Montressorian rain clouds rolling over head. She sighed and pressed her head against the cold glass, pulling her blanket around her tighter. Then, she heard them... voices. Landon and Isabelle? No...

Afraid she was still dreaming, she waited, trying to make out who's they were, but they were too muffled. She laid the blanket next to her on the bench then carefully tiptoed toward the kitchen door, holding her breath. She took a deep breath, then swung the door open slowly.

"Here she is now!" Silver chuckled. "We was jus' talkin 'bout ya, Tabby. I - "

The rest of the statement was halted when she raced across the kitchen and threw her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as possible. He returned the hug, patting her back.

"It's alrigh', lass. I'm jus' fine."

"I didn't know you would be! I was so worried! I though you..."

"It's okay," he smiled. "Now, I don' t'ink I'm t'e only one ya been missin'..." He gently push her to the other side of the kitchen.

"Jim!" she cried out, hugging him around the neck tightly. "You're here!"

Jim couldn't help but be amused. She was always concerned for everyone else, which was one of the big reasons she was such a great doctor, but only a very tiny portion of the reasons he loved her. "Of course I'm here."

"I can't believe it! You're both here! I didn't know when I was going to see you, and I... mm," she whimpered as she hugged him again. "I love you." She let go and rushed to hug Silver again. "And I love you too. You're both here! How did you - ?"

Jim laughed. "Funny story, really." He grabbed a purp and hopped up onto the kitchen counter, only to jump right back down when his mother shot him a stern look.

"What? How?" Tabitha repeated.

"I believe this is where I come in," Amelia spoke up, and Tabitha noticed her for the first time. "Well, myself and Anthony."

"You and Commodore Aldamae?"

The commodore laughed. "Yes. Amelia and I are old friends. We go back quite a ways."

"You're joking?"

"That's what I said," Jim chimed in. "Just wait, it gets better."

"Well, I took off to meet this Amelia Doppler and plead Silver and Jim's case, so imagine my surprise when Amelia Doppler turned out to be Amelia _Smollett_, the girl - "

"Woman, if you don't mind," she interrupted good-naturedly.

"_Lady_," he compromised. "That I was stuck playing 'big brother' to her first year at the academy - I was in charge of ushering her around the campus, making sure she stayed out of trouble - "

"Which you were quite bad at, as I recall. I believe I actually ended up in more trouble because of you," Amelia teased. "It was a pleasure to see you again though. How long has it been? 10 years since we last sailed together?"

"Close to it."

Amelia smiled. "Anthony put in a good word for the both of them, naturally. He explained how Mr. Silver hadn't stolen the ship, and how he'd requested Anthony keep an eye out for you, Tabitha, and I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Silver once again. Seems I quite underestimated him."

"So, what? You just put in a good word, and they let a wanted man go free?" Tabitha questioned.

"Hardly," Commodore Aldamae said. "But when two prestigious officers speak up on behalf of an alleged criminal, a judge tends to listen."

"I think it also helps if you wake the judge up at 3 in the morning," Jim laughed. "He probably would have agreed to most anything just so he could go back home to bed."

"In conclusion, we were only able to get their punishments reduced, not eliminated completely," Amelia explained.

Tabitha paled. "What? What are they?"

"Mr. Silver is required to get special permission with the authorities any time he wants to set foot on a ship."

"An' I got stuck with Anthony as me babysitter," Silver laughed.

Commodore Aldamae laughed and explained to Tabitha's questioning look, "In exchange for his freedom, I pledged that I would take full responsibility for him. Any crimes he commits from here on out are just as much my fault as his. As long as he stays out of trouble - "

"Which he will," Abigail said sternly.

"There's nothing to worry about."

Tabitha's face lit up as she rushed over to hug him. "Thank you!"

Anthony tensed a bit, but laughed. "It's quite alright, Tabitha."

Tabitha's smile fell as she slowly turned to Jim. "What about you?"

Jim lowered his eyes, his face solemn. Just as Tabitha's hand flew to her mouth in concern, assuming the worst - that he'd lost his privilege to be captain, or their ship had been confiscated - he looked up and grinned. "I've been grounded for 6 months."

"Wh-what?"

"I can't step foot onto a ship until then."

"B-but... you weren't going to anyway. We're taking a break, right?"

"Exactly," Jim grinned.

Tabitha's jaw dropped. "That's it?!"

"That's it," he chuckled.

Jim stumbled when she rushed forward to hug him again.

"Well, I must be going," Amelia said. "I'm sure Delbert's pacing around the nursery with me not there."

"Thank you!" Tabitha cried, wrapping her in an embrace.

"Erm, yes..." Amelia said awkwardly. She quickly softened and patted her on the back. "It's quite alright."

Silver waited until the door shut behind her to speak. "I t'ink bein' a mom's made 'er go soft."

"Hey, don't complain. It got us out prison, didn't it?" Jim pointed out.

He stood up and started to leave. "I wasn't complain'. I'm glad t' be back."

"And I'm glad you're back," Abigail smiled as she took his hand.

As they left the room, Jim quickly took a seat at the table while Tabitha sidled in next to him, laying her head on his shoulder.

Jim wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Would it sound stupid if I said I missed you?"

Tabitha's laugh was slightly muffled with her face pressed against him. "If it does, then we can sound stupid together. Oh! Speaking of missing people, you'll never guess who's here."

"Who?"

"Isabelle." Jim blinked in shock as Tabitha explained what had happened. "I haven't seen them since then, but I'm assuming she stayed."

"She did," Mrs. Hawkins spoke up. "I let her sleep in your room, Tabitha. I hope you don't mind. Space is limited, and the only other girl here is Rylee..."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I was going to sleep with Jim anyway." Mrs. Hawkins blinked in both surprise and amusement. "I mean like I did on the ship." Tabitha suddenly remembered that while sharing a bed with Jim on the ship had been commonplace from early on, Mrs. Hawkins had no idea. As far as she knew, they'd only shared a bed on a few odd occasions. "Oh, no, wait! I meant that... I-I had to, on the ship, b-because there wasn't a-a lot of room... W-we just shared a bed, is all... I-I - "

"Stop talking," Jim whispered in her ear at precisely the same time the adults began to laugh.

"I understand Tabitha," Mrs. Hawkins smiled kindly.

Embarrassed, she moved closer to Jim, burying her face against his chest to hide her blush. Of course, she was asleep within minutes. Jim smiled at her, noticing how happy she looked even in her sleep.

"You still haven't done it?"

Jim looked up at his mother with wide eyes. As this sounded like a follow up question to the conversation about he and Tabitha sharing a bed, only one 'it' came to Jim's mind. He flushed, unsure of why his mother was asking about that, and what answer was she expecting? Because judging by the sound of her voice, she sounded almost impatient. What business was it of her's whether or not he and Tabitha had -

"Proposed, I mean."

"Oh!" Jim said in sudden understanding. "Oh..." The repeated 'oh' was more anxious. "You know about that?"

"Jim, I'm your mother," she smiled. "I could have predicted it since the moment I saw the two of you step of the _Legacy_ together."

Commodore Aldamae laughed. "It is quite obvious, you know."

"I know," he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Everyone knows. Even she knows."

"So do it then," his mother encouraged.

Jim glanced down to make sure she was really asleep, then sighed. "I just really wanted it to be perfect, you know? It's not like I haven't tried. I have, but stuff happened..."

"Stuff?" the commodore repeated.

"Yeah, like... well, the first time was when I took Tabitha out to watch the sunrise, but we ended up getting distracted by the ship you bought us, mom, and then the next time was the night we went swimming and you found us, sir, and the next - " He stopped and decided to skip over the whole scene of getting wasted and nearly doing 'it' - the _other_ one, that is. "The point is I really have tried."

Neither adult said anything, but something about their facial expressions made it clear they didn't accept this excuse. After double checking to see that Tabitha's eyes were still closed, he pulled the box out of his pocket and looked over the ring once more.

"Jim... " his mother began.

He looked up to face both his mother and the commodore, who were now sending him very pointed looks. "It's now, isn't it?" he asked.

"No time like the present..." Commodore Aldamae said as he left the kitchen. Mrs. Hawkins began to follow, but Jim stopped her. "Mom, wait - "

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"I wanted to apologize, for ending up in trouble again. I'm sorry, I just didn't want to see Silver get blamed for everything. I don't mean to keep letting you down - "

"You didn't let me down," she interrupted. "Speaking up with Silver was very respectable. You have nothing to be sorry for." Jim started to smile, but she quickly added. "Except making us all wait so long to see the two of you married."

Jim laughed as she left the room, then shook his head to clear his nerves. "Get a grip. You can do this..." he prepared himself. "Tabitha?" Tabitha didn't move a muscle. "Hey, Tabitha... wake up." Nothing. "Please? This is important."

Still no. He sighed and tilted his head back, groaning quietly in frustration as he crammed the box back into his pocket. He debated carrying her to bed, but didn't trust that he had the strength; he was just as exhausted as she was. He didn't have long to think about it though before the quiet dark of the kitchen pulled him into sleep as well.

* * *

Tabitha didn't even know she'd been asleep until she woke up with a start. It was dark outside, but that was because of the storm. It hadn't started to actually rain yet, but when it did, it was going to be one heck of a storm. Peering through the blackness, she was just able to read the time on the clock on the wall - 7 a.m.

Yawning, she turned to Jim. "Hey, Jim, wake up."

Jim groaned unhappily. "Why?"

She quickly kissed him. "I just think we'd be more comfortable in bed."

His eyes snapped open. "Okay."

Tabitha laughed as they stretched and stumbled sleepily through the swinging kitchen door, only to be greeted by the sound of cheers coming from the den.

"Did we miss something?" Jim asked.

"Apparently..." Tabitha said.

They followed the sound and were quite shocked by the sight they found. All of their friends, who were apparently still on the sleep schedule they'd acquired during the trip, were talking animatedly to Silver and Abigail.

Morph flitted over to the confused couple. "Proposed!"

"Proposed?" both Jim and Tabitha repeated.

Morph turned into a ring and placed himself on Tabitha's finger. "What? Who - "

"Tabby!" Silver shouted when he spotted her. "T'ere ya are!"

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Silver proposed!" Abigail practically squealed.

Both Jim and Tabitha's jaw dropped, though for entirely different reasons. Tabitha was thrilled while Jim was somewhat irritated.

"Really?!" Tabitha squealed. "You guys, that's fantastic!"

As the two women hugged, Silver walked past Jim, pausing just long enough to say, "I win."

Jim glared daggers at him, but Silver just laughed.

That was it.

"Come here," Jim demanded, grabbing Tabitha's hand and pulling her away from Abigail.

"Wha - Jim, what are you doing?" she questioned.

He didn't stop walking or let go of her hand until they were outside. As he breathed in the cool air of the storm, he realized that pull Tabitha around like that was probably not the best way to begin this. "Sorry I jerked you out like that..."

She raised an eyebrow. "It's okay, but what...?"

Jim tried to repeat a confident mantra in his head - "You love her. She loves you. She's going to say yes. Keep it together, Jim. You can do this..." - but his rapidly increasing pulse rate made him believe he had a better chance of having a heart attack than being able to do this. Somehow, he managed to take a deep breath without going into cardiac arrest. He ran his hand through his hair, then took her hands and laced his fingers through hers. "Tabitha..."

She looked down at their hands then up to his face. "Yes?"

"We've... we've been going out for a long time, haven't we?"

Tabitha grinned. "Yes..."

"And we... we love each other, right?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Okay..." he chuckled nervously. "Well, I... I-I just wanted to - "

But he was interrupted. This time, not by a ship, or a person, but nature itself. Halfway through his sentence, a raindrop fell and landed on his face. Then another on Tabitha's head. Then another on their intertwined hands.

Tabitha started to pull him back indoors. "Come on. We better get in before it starts to pour."

Jim followed for a few steps back towards the inn, then locked his legs and froze. He was not going to put this off again. "No."

"What?" she asked quizzically.

He shook his head. It had to be here; he was finally ready, right now, and he definitely couldn't do it in front of everybody - there was no way his nerve would hold up. No, rain or no rain, it had to be done now.

"No. Look, just..." he grabbed her hands. "Just wait."

"But it's raining," she laughed.

"I know, but this will only take a second. I..."

"What?"

"I... I was..."

Tabitha raised her eyebrows in anticipation as Jim tried to ask her. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves...

In those few seconds it to take in that gulp of air, he realized how stupid he was being. He laughed and shook his head in amusement as his nervousness melted away into confidence.

"What?" she asked, smiling, but sounding anxious.

"I just wanted to ask you - " he began more confidently. He grabbed the box from his pocket and knelt in front of her, grinning wildly.

"Tabitha Renee Alexander, will you marry me?"

Tabitha laughed as her vision blurred with tears of happiness. "It's about time!" And with that, she tackled him to the ground in a hug which he returned tightly.

"So I can take this as a yes, right?"

She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "Yes! Oh, of course, yes! A thousand times yes!"

This time, Jim felt his eyes water - or maybe it was just the rain, which was now falling harder. Either way, he pulled Tabitha back to him in another tight embrace, clenching his eyes shut to savor the moment. After a minute, Tabitha shifted off of Jim and they helped each other up. Jim pulled the ring out of the box and placed in on her finger, looking up at her.

Tabitha gasped. "Jim, it's beautiful," she said breathlessly as she gazed admiringly at the ring.

"Really? So you do like it? Because I know it's not exactly a typical engagement ring, but I really thought you'd like it," he explained as he bashfully rubbed the back of his neck.

"I do. It's completely perfect," she grinned.

All they could do was stand there, to stunned to do anymore than laugh quietly as they gazed happily at each other, unaware that it was raining, unaware that they were soaked to the bone, still in disbelief that they were actually engaged.

"T'is is t'e part where ya kiss 'er, lad!"

Tabitha and Jim both jumped out of their lovestruck state at the sound of Silver's voice. They turned to see not only him, but everyone else as well, gathered in the window's and doorway, smiling at the couple.

While Tabitha was still confounded by the audience they'd just discovered, Jim took Silver's advice. He grabbed her hand and spun her to him where he kissed her passionately, much to the enthusiasm of their onlookers who cheered wildly. Tabitha smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Jim's neck. Jim smiled back, lifted her feet off the ground, and spun her around while the rain continued to fall heavily around them.

* * *

The beaming, albeit wet and muddy, couple staggered love-drunkenly through the door, their presence hailed by more hoots and applause. Jim was stilling grinning wider than he even thought possible while Tabitha's cheeks retained a bright shade of red.

B.E.N., who someone had apparently decided to wake up to be here for this momentous occasion, was the first to approach them. Tossing a towel around each of their necks and pulling them all together into a hug, he shouted, "Oh, Jimmy and Tabby! I can't believe you're going to be getting married! How wonderful and exciting and thrilling!"

"Oh, Tabitha!" Mrs. Hawkins cried. "Welcome to the family, dear!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Hawk - "

"Sarah."

"O-okay..." Tabitha stuttered in shock. "Sarah."

They embraced again before Mrs. Hawkins switched over to Jim and hugged him, kissing his cheek enthusiastically.

"_Mom_..." Jim whined playfully.

Next were their friends, who bombarded them with hugs and congratulatory exclamations.

"Congratulations, you two!"

"I'm so happy for you guys!"

"I can't believe you're getting married!"

"It's about time!"

After that was Morph, who decided to foretell the wedding by enacting Jim in a tux and Tabitha in a white dress and kissing.

Commodore Aldamae shook Jim's hand. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever ask."

"So was I," Tabitha laughed.

The Commodore chuckled as Abigail walked up. She hugged the couple together. "Congratulations to both of you."

"Right back at you," Jim chuckled.

Abigail laughed lightly and backed away.

"Tabitha - " Silver began, his voice much to heavy for the lightness of the situation.

Tabitha gulped at his use of her full name. "Yes?"

As he stepped forward, Jim released her hand. She turned to look at him confusedly, but he just smiled and moved away.

Silver knelt down in front of her. "Tabby, I dunno if now's t'e best time t' be askin' ya t'is... but I told Jimbo I'd wait till after he proposed, an' I really don't wanna wait any longer."

"What?" Her voice was quiet, but it might as well have been a scream in the eerily silent room. "What is it?"

"Well, Tabby, I was wonderin' if I - we - " he corrected, looking back at Abigail. "Could... adopt ya."

Nearly everyone gasped, except Tabitha. Tabitha either didn't or couldn't move a muscle.

Taking this as a bad sign, Silver began to ramble. "I been takin' care o' ya fer almost ten years, and Anthony t'ought I was yer pap anyways, an' ya said yerself t'at Abby would be a good mother..."

Tabitha opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't. Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. The occupants of the room gasped in quiet unison.

"Oh," Silver said defeatedly.

Tabitha hugged him tightly as she began to sob. Abigail's hand flew to her mouth, Jim ran his fingers through his hair, stressed and guilty that he'd told Silver to do this.

"It's alrigh', lass. I understand. Ya just learned a lot 'bout yer folks, an' it makes sense fer yer answer t' be - "

"Yes."

Tabitha pulled back to look Silver in the eyes, now grinning from ear to ear.

"Whatdya say?" Silver verified.

"I said yes!" she cried. "Of course I want you to adopt me!"

"But... ya shook yer head!"

"In disbelief," she explained. "I thought a fiance was a lot, but a family as well?!"

Silver gawked at her for a second, then laughed and spun her around. The crowd clapped and cheered. Abigail stepped forward and Tabitha rushed to her next.

"You really will be the perfect mother."

Abigail burst into tears as well, flinging her arms around her soon-to-be daughter. "Thank you."

As they cried together, Silver stepped over toward Jim, towering over him in a way that would have been intimidating were it not for the smirk playing across his lips.

"So, yer lookin' to marry Tabby, eh?"

"Yeah" Jim said, crossing his own arms and adopting a serious/joking demeanor similar to Silver's.

"T'ought ya were s'pposed t' ask her pap first."

"You aren't her father yet."

"Close 'nough."

Jim smirked. "Well then I thought I kind of already had."

Silver broke into a full-out smile. "Well, _son," _he emphasized. "Welcome t' t'e family."

Jim blinked at the word he hadn't heard in almost ten years. "Thanks... dad."

At this, Silver held out his arms. As Jim did the same, they embraced each other tightly, neither trying to hide their tears anymore.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

It had been a full day of celebration - of Jim's belated birthday, of their return home, of the two proposals, of Tabitha's adoption - and yet, Tabitha wasn't tired. Even now that she'd changed into her nightgown and was in bed, writing by candlelight, she was hyped on adrenaline that she thought would never leave.

Engaged - that's what she was. She couldn't have stopped smiling if she'd wanted to.

_**Dear Diary,**_

_**Well that was exciting. I don't really think I need to write about everything. It would be impossible for me to forget this night. I am engaged. Jim is going to be my husband soon. Very soon, in fact, and yet it can't come fast enough. And as if that weren't enough, Silver and Abigail are adopting me! ME! I would think I was dreaming, but even my dreams aren't this wonderful. No, this is real. I have everything I've ever wanted, and then some. I have a family.**_

Tabitha flipped the page over to the very last page of her diary and froze. There, in faded ink, was a note. A note addressed to her...

**_Dearest Tabitha,_**

**_ I am hoping that one day you will find this, though I know it probably isn't very likely. I know that I don't have much longer to live, and they won't let you see me, in case whatever I have is contagious, so I'm writing everything I wish to say to you down instead. There isn't much. I love you, and I hope you always remember me as I was. I'm glad you enjoy reading; in a way, as long as you read, you'll always be keeping a small part of me with you. I hope you have the happiest life one could possibly have. More than anything, I hope you're able to marry someone you love as much as I love your father and one day have a child that you'll love as much as I love you. Because I do, Tabitha Renee. I love you with all my heart._****_ You're beautiful, and you're smart, and you can do anything you want to do, my dear. Never forget that or let someone tell you otherwise. Remain the head-strong, fearless girl you are. I have no doubt that you will go as you let your dreams take you._**

**_I love you, dear. More than I could ever write in this notebook. Know that.  
_**

**_Your mother,  
Melody_**

Tabitha read it three times before she actually grasped that it was a note. To her. From her mother. Then she read it three more times in shock. This had been here. Always. She'd been carrying it around since the day she left home. Then she re-read the part that stood out to her the most - _More than anything, I hope you're able to marry someone you love as much as I love your father._

She had. It was too good to be true. Flipping back to the page before, she re-read the last sentence she'd written and decided it was a perfect ending. Or maybe it was the perfect beginning...

She sighed happily to herself and turned to look out the window. The storm was still raging on, and she suddenly realized she'd never be able to see rain again without thinking of tonight, of Jim's proposal, of her parents, of love. With that, she closed her eyes and clutched the notebook tight to her chest and didn't open them again until she felt a pair of lips press gently against hers. She smiled up at Jim.

"Tired?" he questioned.

"Well it has been a long day," she said as she went to place the completed diary on the desk. "A long, wonderful, glorious day."

"Despite the fact that your soon-father and your fiance spent part of it in jail? And your boyfriend proposed to you in the middle of a storm? After making you wait forever?"

She laughed. "Yes. It was amazing. So amazing that I don't even care that you made me wait so long. And Jim, you could have proposed to me in the middle of a blizzard and it would still be the happiest day of my life. Everything was just... I don't know. What's beyond perfect?"

"You," Jim grinned at her as he began to change. "And you know what I was thinking?"

"What?" she asked as she lay back down.

"Silver was wrong - there's no way that having an unnamed ship can be bad luck. None. Zip. In fact, I'd be more likely to believe it's good luck."

She laughed. "Good point... You know what _I_ was thinking?"

"What?"

"That I should have made you wait as long for an answer as I did for a proposal."

"Oh ha ha. Very funny."

She giggled. "What about you? Perfect day?"

Jim was too busy drinking in the sight of her to answer right away. She was stretched out before him in bed, legs folded over each other. Her white nightgown draped over her curves in a hypnotizing way. In the pale light from the candles they were using because of the storm, the sheer material seemed to shimmer, making her skin look like it was glowing radiantly, and the gold in her hair reflecting the light highlighted her features - she looked like an angel, something ethereal that existed only in his dreams.

"I suppose," he smirked. "Though I have an idea of how it could get better."

Tabitha bit her lip as Jim crawled up over into bed. He had her blushing before he even lowered his body to hers, but she was the one to initiate the kiss, running her fingers through his hair and pulling him to her. When the need for air beat out the need to be close to each other, they pulled away. Blue eye on blue eyes, their smiles were so much more than just happy - they were loved, at peace, thrilled. They were whatever was better than perfection. They're was only one one thing they could say, one thing that summed up everything they felt and thought, one thing they knew, an absolute truth that made no sense:

"I love you."

Jim broke the gaze just long enough to blow out the candle and cast the room into darkness.

* * *

**Hmm, wondering why there's no author's note here?**

**It's because you need to go and look at the NEXT STORY!**

**"Sparks Fly"**


End file.
